I^wss 


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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

Theological    Seminary, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J. 

BR  145  .A37  1823   v. 2 
Allen,  Benjamin,  1789-1829 
History  of  the  church  of 
Christ 


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BISTORT 


©1*  ©MJiai 


BY  THE  REV.  BENJAMftj  ALLEN, 

njiCTOR  OF  ST.  Paul's  cKuncH,  philadelphja. 


VOL.  II. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  E.  BACON,  No.  39,  CHERRY  STREET. 

Clark  &  Baser,  Printers,  33  Carter's  Alley. 
1824. 


Hastern  District  of  Pennsylvunia,  to  tuit: 

BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  That  on  the  twenty-thud  day  oJ  Auguit,iu  the  forty-eighth  year 
of  the  independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  A.D.  1823,  the  Rev,  Benjamin  Allen,  o{ 
the  said  district,  hatli  deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims  as 
author,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: 

"  History  of  the  Church  of  Christ.    By  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Allen,  Rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church, 
Philadelphia. 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  Congi'ess  of  the  United  States,  intituled,  "An  Act  for  the 
Encouragement  of  Learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Ma])-!,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors 
and  proprietors  of  such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned"' — And  also  to  the  act,  entitled, 
"  An  Act  supplementary  to  an  Act,  entitled,  '  An  Act  for  the  Encouragement  of  Learning,  by 
securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and  propiietors  of  such  copies 
during  the  times  therein  mentioned,'  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing, 
engraving,  and  etching  historical  and  oUier  prints." 

D.  CALDWELL, 
Clerk  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


.'^riT.O 


HISTORY 


<ei06tS  Ccnturp, 


Venerable 


CHAPTER  I. 

Bede. — Saracens. — Image- Worship. — Foperij. — Mis- 
sionaiies. 


The  two  evils  which  have  risen  to  view  during  the 
last  century,  will  not  soon  be  paralleled.  The  papacy, 
gathering  its  foul  exhalations  to  quench  the  light  of  truth; 
and  the  imposture  of  Mahomet,  like  a  cloud  from  the 
bottomless  abyss,  withering  wherever  it  falls  with  instant 
desolation.  Both  alike  prove  the  corruption  of  the  hu- 
man heart,  and  the  importance  of  relying  alone  upon  Him 
whose  promise  still  is.  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail. 
Both  the  Eastern  and  the  Western  churches  given  up  to 
darkness! — the  whole  orb  of  Christianity! — But  the 
Lord  reigneth. 

England  was  distinguished  during  part  of  this  century 
by  "venerable  Bede."  He  was  looked  upon  as  the  most 
learned  man  of  his  time.  Prayer,  writing,  and  teaching, 
were  his  familiar  employments  during  his  whole  life.* 

*  Life  of  Bede,  prefixed  to  his  works.    Cologne  edition. 


4  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  h 

He  was  ordained  deacon  in  the  nineteenth,  and  presbyter 
in  the  thirtieth,  year  of  his  age.  He  gave  himself  wholly 
to  the  study  of  the  Scripture,  the  instruction  of  disciples, 
the  offices  of  public  worship,  and  the  composition  of  re- 
ligious and  literary  works. 

Constantly  engaged  in  reading  or  writing,  he  made  all 
his  studies  subservient  to  devotion.  As  he  was  sensible 
that  it  is  by  the  grace  of  God,  rather  than  by  natural 
faculties,  that  the  most  profitable  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures is  acquired,  he  uiixed  prayer  with  his  studies.  He 
never  knew  what  it  was  to  do  nothing. 

His  church  history  is  particularly  valuable,  though  he 
fell  into  the  too  fashionable  errors  of  Rome.  In  his  last 
sickness  he  was  afflicted  for  two  weeks  with  a  difficulty 
of  breathing.  His  mind  was,  however,  serene  and  cheer- 
ful, his  affections  were  heavenly;  and,  amidst  these  infir- 
mities, he  daily  taught  his  disciples.  A  great  part  of  that 
night  was  employed  in  prayer  and  thanksgiving;  and  the 
first  employment  of  the  morning  was  to  ruminate  on  the 
Scriptures,  and  to  address  his  God  in  prayer.  "  God 
scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth,"  was  frequently 
in  his  mouth. 

Even  amidst  his  bodily  weakness  he  was  employed  in 
writing  two  little  treatises.  Perceiving  his  end  to  draw 
near,  he  said,  "  If  my  Maker  please,  I  will  go  to  him 
from  the  flesh,  who,  when  I  was  not,  formed  me  out  of 
nothing — my  soul  desires  to  see  Christ  my  king  in  his 
beauty."  He  sang  glory  to  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  expired  with  a  sedateness,  composure, 
and  devotion,  which  surprised  all  who  were  present  at 
this  scene. 

The  following  extract  from  his  writings  shows  the 
soundness  of  his  faith.     "  Other  innumerable  methods  of 


Cent.  8.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  5 

saving  men  being  set  aside,  this  was  selected  by  Infinite 
Wisdom,  namely,  that,  without  any  diminution  of  his  di- 
vinity, he  assumed  also  humanity;  and  in  humanity  pro- 
cured so  much  good  to  men,  that  temporal  death,  though 
not  due  from  him,  was  yet  paid,  to  deliver  them  from 
eternal  death,  which  was  due  from  them.  Such  was  the 
efficacy  of  that  blood,  that  the  devil,  who  slew  Christ  by 
a  teuiporary  death  which  was  not  due,  cannot  detain  in 
eternal  death  any  of  those  who  are  clothed  with  Christ, 
though  that  eternal  death  be  due  for  their  sins."* 

In  the  year  713,  the  Mahometans  passed  over  from 
Africa  into  Spain,  and  put  an  end  to  the  kingdom  of  the 
Goths,  which  had  lasted  near  three  hundred  years.  The 
Christians  were  there  reduced  to  slavery;  and  thus  were 
scourged  those  wicked  professors  of  religion  who  had 
long  held  the  truth  in  unrighteousness;  called  on  the 
name  of  Christ,  while  in  works  they  denied  him,  and 
buried  his  faith  under  an  enormous  heap  of  superstitions. 
A  remnant,  however,  preserved  their  independency  in  the 
Austurian  mountains,  who  chose  Pelagius,  a  person  de- 
scended from  the  royal  family,  for  their  king.  He  ex- 
pressed his  hope,  that,  after  God  had  chastised  them  for 
their  sins,  he  would  not  give  them  up  wholly  to  the  Ma- 
hometans. His  confidence  in  God  was  not  disappointed. 
Under  circumstances  extremely  disadvantageous,  he  de- 
feated the  enemy,  repeopled  the  cities,  rebuilt  the  church- 
es, and,  by  the  pious  assistance  of  several  pastors,  sup- 
ported the  gospel  in  one  district  of  Spain,  while  the  great- 
est part  of  the  country  was  overrun  by  the  Arabians.  But 
the  successors  of  Pelagius,  by  degress,  recovered  more 
cities  from  the  enemy. 

Christendom  at  this  time  presented  a  very  grievous 

*  On  Rom.  v. 


ti  IirSTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  J. 

and  mournful  spectacle.  Idolatry  itself  was  now  spread- 
ing widely,  both  in  Europe  and  in  Asia,  among  the  pro- 
fessors of  the  Gospel:  men  had  very  commonly  every 
where  forsaken  the  faith  and  the  precepts  of  Jesus,  in 
all  those  countries  which  had  been  long  evangelized. 
The  people,  who  served  the  Lord  in  the  greatest  purity 
and  sincerity,  seem  to  have  been  our  ancestors,*  and  the 
inhabitants  of  some  other  regions,  which  had  but  lately 
received  the  gospel. 

In  proportion  as  men  depart  from  simple  dependance 
upon  Christ  for  salvation,  they  multiply  unmeaning  ob- 
-^servances,  and  fall  into  the  heavy  burdens  of  will- worship. 
To  satisfy  their  clamorous  consciences,  they  take  upon 
them  a  yoke,  which,  when  compared  to  the  yoke  of 
Christ,  is  indeed  heavy.  They  thus  avoid  the  religion  of 
the  heart,  'tis  true,  and  the  difficult  work  of  humbling 
the  soul,  but  they  become  very  drudges  in  the  service  of 
superstition. 

The  Romish  church,  which  had  for  some  time  been 
declining  in  spirituality,  began  to  fall  into  the  direct  wor- 
ship of  images,  or  rather  this  worship  increased.  Gregory 
had  allowed  them  to  remain  in  the  churches  as  books 
for  the  ignorant,  and  they,  ever  ready  to  mistake,  made 
them  idols.  In  this  respect  the  Romanf  church  advanced 
in  corruption  more  rapidly  than  the  eastern.     And  Gre- 

*  Ireland,  which  Prideaux  calls  the  prime  seat  of  learning  in  all  Christen- 
dom, during'  the  reign  of  Charlemagne,  was  peculiarly  distinguished  in  this 
century.  Usher  has  proved  the  name  of  Scotia  to  have  been  appropriated  to 
Ireland  at  this  time.  Eginhard,  the  sefcretary  of  Charlemagne,  calls  Ireland 
Hibcrnia  Scotorum  insula.  Several  of  these  Scots  (Irish)  laboured  in  the  vine- 
yard in  Charlemagne's  time,  and  were  made  bishops  in  Germany.  Both  sacred 
and  jDrofane  learning  were  taught  by  them  with  success. 

f  I  say  the  Roman ;  for  in  other  parts  of  the  west,  we  shall  see,  that  some 
opposition  was  made  to  idolatry. 


Cent.  8.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  7 

cian  emperors  employed  themselves  in  destroying  images 
and  pictures,  while  in  Italy  they  were  held  in  idolatrous 
admiration. 

In  727,  Leo,  suruamed  Iconomachus,  the  Greek  em- 
peror, began  openly  to  op})ose  the  worship  of  images. 
Gregory  II.  whom  we  may  now  call  Pope,  upheld  the 
idolatry,  and  encouraged  its  abettors  in  the  eastern  church 
even  to  rebellion.  In  Italy  also  the  authority  of  the  em- 
peror was  treated  with  great  contempt,  and  serious  at- 
tempts were  made  to  elect  another  in  his  room.  But  Leo 
overcame  his  enemies,  though  in  the  end  Gregory's  ob- 
stinate defence  of  idolatry  actually  fomented  the  rebel- 
lion, and,  in  the  end,  established  the  temporal  power  of 
his  successors  on  the  ruins  of  the  injperial  authority.* 

In  732,  Gregory,  in  a  council,  excommunicated  all 
who  should  remove  or  speak  contemptuously  of  images. 
And,  Italy  being  now  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  Leo  fitted 
out  a  fleet,  which  he  sent  thither;  but  it  was  wrecked 
in  the  Adriatic.  He  continued,  however,  to  enforce  his 
edict  against  images  in  the  east,  while  the  patrons  of  the 
fashionable  idolatry  supported  it  by  various  sophisms.  In 
all  his  conduct  Gregory  now  acted  like  a  temporal  prince: 
he  supported  a  rebellious  duke  against  Luitprand,  king 
of  the  Lombards,  iiis  master,  and,  fearing  the  vengeance 
of  the  latter,  he  applied  to  Ciiarles  Martel,  mayor  of  the 
palace  in  France,!  offering  to  withdraw  his  obedience 
from  the  emperor,  and  give  the  consulship  of  Rome  to 
Charles,  if  he  would  take  him  under  his  protection-! 

*  See  Mosheim,  Cent.  VIII.  C,  III. 

■j-  This  is  lie  who  had  stopped  the  progress  of  the  Saracen  arms.  Mayor  of 
the  palace,  was  the  title  of  the  prime  minister  in  France,  who  during  tlie  reigns 
of  a  succession  of  weak  princes,  governed  with  sovereign  power. 

^  This  shows  that  the  charge  of  i-ebeUion  against  the  emperor,  is  not  un- 
justly made  against  this  pope. 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE  ^Chap.  V 

Charles,  however,  by  his  wars  with  the  Saracens,  was 
prevented  from  complying  with  the  pope's  request.  But 
he  left  his  power  and  ambitious  views  to  his  son  and  suc- 
cessor, Pepin.  Charles,  Gregory,  and  Leo,  all  died  in 
the  same  year,  741,  and  left  to  their  successors  the  ma- 
nagement of  their  respective  views  and  contentions. 

Zachary  was  the  next  pope  after  Gregory  III.,  an  as- 
piring politician,  who  fomented  discord  among  the  Lom- 
bards, and,  by  his  intrigues,  obtained  from  their  king 
Lnitprand  an  addition  to  the  patrimony  of  the  church. 
The  Roman  prelates  had  evidently  ceased  to  worship 
God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  were  now  become  mere 
secular  princes. 

Zachary  showed  how  well  he  merited  the  title  of  a 
temporal  governor.  He  had  the  address  to  preserve  still 
a  nominal  subjection  to  the  Greek  emperor,  while  he 
seized  all  the  power  of  the  Roman  dukedom  for  himself, 
and  looked  out  for  a  protector  both  against  his  lawful 
sovereign  and  against  the  Lombards.  This  was  Pepin, 
the  son  and  successor  of  Charles  Martel  in  France,  who 
sent  a  case  of  conscience  to  be  resolved  by  the  pope, 
namely,  whether  it  would  be  just  in  himself  to  depose  his 
sovereign  Childeric  III.  and  to  reign  in  his  room.'^*  Za- 
chary was  not  ashamed  to  answer  in  the  affirmative: 
Pepin  then  threw  his  master  into  a  monastery,  and  as- 
sumed the  title  of  king.  Zachary  died  soon  after,  viz. 
in  the  year  752. 

The  Greek  emperor  was  unable  to  cope  with  the  sub- 

*  Fleury,  XLIII.  1,  calls  him  a  weak  and  contemptible  prince.  So  the 
French  kings  had  been  for  some  time.  But  Gregory  I.  would  have  told  Pepin, 
that  the  weakness  of  the  sovereign's  faculties  gave  the  servant  no  right  to 
usurp  the  master's  authority.  Gregory  feared  God :  whereas  idolatry  had  hard- 
ened the  hearts  of  these  popes,  and  left  them  no  law  but  their  own  insatiable 
ambition. 


Vent.  8.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  9 

tilty  of  the  pope  and  the  violence  of  the  Lombards.  Ra- 
venna, the  capital  of  his  dominions  in  Italy,  was  taken  by 
king  Astulphus,  who  had  succeeded  Rachis,  the  succes- 
sor of  Luitprand.  This  government,  called  the  Exar- 
chate, had  continued  in  Italy  about  a  hundred  and  four- 
score years.  Stephen,  the  successor  of  Zachary,  finding 
the  superior  strength  of  the  Lombards,  now  solicited  the 
aid  of  Constantine,  who  was  too  much  employed  in  the 
east,  to  send  any  forces  into  Italy.  In  the  year  754,  the 
emperor  held  a  council  of  338  bishops,  to  decide  the  con- 
troversy concerning  images.  They  express  themselves 
not  improperly  on  the  nature  of  the  heresy.*  "Jesus 
Christ,"  say  they,  "  hath  delivered  us  from  idolatry,  and 
hath  taught  us  to  adore  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  Rut 
the  devil,  not  being  able  to  endure  the  beauty  of  the 
church,  hath  insensibly  brought  back  idolatry  under  the 
appearance  of  Christianity,  persuading  men  to  worship 
the  creature,  and  to  take  for  God  a  work,  to  which  they 
give  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Stephen,  pressed  by  the  victorious  arms  of  Astulphus, 
applied  himself  to  Pepin,  and  wrote  to  all  the  French 
dukes,  exhorting  them  to  succour  St.  Peter,  and  pro- 
mising them  the  remission  of  their  sins,  a  hundred  fold 
in  this  world,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlasting. 
So  rapidly  advanced  the  popedom! 

Pepin  attacked  Astulphus  so  vigorously,  that,  in  the 
end,  he  obliged  him  to  deliver  the  Exarchate,  that  is  Ra- 
venna, and  twenty-one  cities  besides,  to  the  pope.  Con- 
stantine, alarmed  at  the  danger  of  his  dominions,  in  Italy, 
sent  an  embassy  to  king  Pepin,  to  press  him  to  deliver 
the  Exarchate  to  its  rightful  sovereign:  but  in  vain.  In 
the  issue,  the  pope  became  the  proprietor  of  Ravenna 

'  Fleury,  XUir.  7. 
Vol.  r  R 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1, 

and  its  dependencies,  and  added  rapacity  to  his  rebel- 
lion. 

From  this  time  he  not  only  assumed  the  tone  of  infal- 
libility and  spiritual  dominion,  but  became  literally  a  tem- 
poral prince. 

In  the  year  768  died  Pepin,  the  great  supporter  of  the 
popedom.  Its  grandeur  was,  however,  not  yet  arrived  at 
maturity. 

Adrian,  who  was  elected  pope  in  772,  equalled  his  pre- 
decessor in  ambition,  and,  by  the  help  of  Charlemagne, 
the  son  of  Pepin,  exalted  the  power  of  antichrist  still 
higher.  The  emperors  who  opposed  image  worship 
dying,  it  began  to  triumph  in  the  east  as  well  as  west. 
The  same  emperors  had  opposed  prayers  to  the  saints, 
and  also  the  monastic  life,  but  these,  with  other  errors, 
began  to  take  deep  root,  especially  within  the  boundaries 
of  Rome.  Justification  by  faith  seems  to  have  been  for- 
gotten. The  pulpits  were  silent  on  the  subject.  Large 
domains  were  annexed  to  the  church  of  Rome,  as  pre- 
sents from  superstitious  princes  for  the  pardon  of  sin. 
Prayers  were  offered  for  the  dead,  and  presents  received 
from  surviving  relations  for  offering  them. 

But  there  was  some  opposition  to  these  growing  evils 
on  the  part  of  some  of  the  western  churches:  those  newly 
planted  especially,  as  the  church  in  Britain,  and  in  Ger- 
many. A  second  council  of  Nice,  having,  in  787,  de- 
clared in  favour  of  image  worship,  its  decree  met  with 
so  much  opposition,  that  Charlemagne  directed  some  of 
the  bishops  to  examine  into  the  grounds  of  it.  This  he 
did  under  the  influence  of  Alcuin,  a  learned  Englishman, 
whom  he  cherished.  The  result  was  a  declaration  that 
images  might  remain  in  the  churches  as  books  for  the 
ignorant,  but  should  not  be  worshipped.    How  much 


Cent.  8.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  ]  1 

more  effectual  the  conduct  of  Epiphanius,  bishop  of 
Cyprus,  in  the  fourth  century.  He,  finding  a  linen  cloth 
hanging  on  the  church  door  with  an  image  of  Christ  or 
of  some  saint  painted  on  it,  tore  the  cloth.  But  those 
were  days  of  greater  purity. 

Adrian  received  the  decision  of  the  bishops  against  his 
decree  of  Nice  with  prudence.  He  did  not  wish  to 
offend  Charlemagne. 

France  had  as  yet  shown  no  disposition  positively  in 
favour  of  idolatry.  The  Roman  see,  alone,  in  Europe, 
had  in  form  supported  and  defended  it.  And  experience 
proves,  that  the  greatest  stages  of  degeneracy  are  to  be 
found  in  the  churches  which  have  subsisted  the  longest. 

Charles  and  the  French  churches  persevered  in  their 
own  middle  practice:  they  used  images,  but  they  abhorred 
the  adoration  of  them.  In  the  year  794,  at  Frankfort 
upon  the  Maine,  a  synod  was  held,  consisting  of  300  bi- 
shops, who  condemned  the  second  council  of  Nice,  and 
the  worship  of  images. 

All  his  life,  however,  Adrian  continued  on  good  terms 
with  Charlemagne.  He  died  in  the  course  of  the  next 
year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Leo  HI.  Pohtical  intrigue, 
and  secular  artifice,  not  theological  study,  was  then  the 
practice  of  Roman  bishops.  The  Irish,  at  this  time,  par- 
ticularly excelled  in  divinity,  travelled  through  various 
countries,  and  became  renowned  for  their  learning;  and 
the  superior  light,  exhibited  by  England  and  France  in 
the  controversy  of  images,  seems  to  prove  that  these  coun- 
tries, in  their  knowledge  of  Scripture,  and  also  in  their 
regard  for  its  doctrines,  far  exceeded  Rome.  Yet  so 
strongly  were  men  prejudiced  in  favour  of  the  dignity  of 
the  Roman  see,  that  it  still  remained  in  the  height  of  its 
power,  and  was  enabled  in  process  of  time^  to  communi- 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Cliap,  1. 

cate  its  idolatrous  abominations  through  Europe.  In  the 
east  the  worship  of  inriages  was  triumphant,  but  as  yet 
not  universal* 

Thus  have  we  seen  the  church  falHng  into  the  sin  of 
the  pagans.  But  Christ  was  not  without  a  people.  Even 
as  it  was  in  the  days  of  the  prophet,  there  were  many 
who  bowed  not  the  knee  to  Baal. 

Glory  be  to  thy  name,  0  thou  Almighty  Jehovah, 
that  thou  hast  preserved  thine  own  cause  by  thine  own 
hand!  If  thou  hadst  not  done  so,  the  earth  would  long 
ago  have  been  left  to  midnight  darkness. 

Several  missionaries  laboured  to  diffuse  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  among  the  heathen  during  this  century,  and 
with  success.  Winfrid,  an  Englishman,  was  a  blessing 
to  the  eastern  parts  of  Germany.  Villehad,  another  Eng- 
lishman, was  successful  among  the  Saxons.  Rumold, 
an  itinerant  Episcopal  missionary,  was  useful  in  Brabant. 
And  the  names  of  several  others  are  handed  down  to  us, 
who,  afar  from  the  scene  of  ecclesiastical  corruption,  pa- 
tiently laboured  in  the  conversion  of  the  heathens.  "  Let 
us  fight,"  said  they,  "  for  our  Lord;  for  we  hve  in  days  of 
affliction  and  anguish.  Let  us  die,  if  God  so  please,  for 
the  laws  of  our  fathers,  that  with  them  we  may  obtain 
the  heavenly  inheritance.  Let  us  not  be  as  dumb  dogs, 
sleepy  watchmen,  or  selfish  hirelings,  but  as  careful  and 
vigilant  pastors,  preaching  to  all  ranks,  as  far  as  God 
shall  enable  us,  in  season  and  out  of  season." 

*  Irene,  toward  the  close  of  this  century,  viz.  about  the  year  797",  dethroned 
her  son  Constantine,  and  put  out  his  eyes  with  such  violence,  that  he  lost  his 
life.  This  monster,  a  worthy  patroness  of  idolatty,  then  reigned  alone,  and  co- 
operated with  the  pope  of  Rome,  in  the  support  of  Satan's  kingdom.  She  was 
deposed  and  banished  by  Necephoi-us,  A.  D.  802. 


Cent.9r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  13 


CHAPTER  I. 

Success  of  Rome.: — Mo. — Paiilicians. — Claudius  of  Turin. — J\£is- 

sions. 

The  shadows  of  spiritual  night  thicken  as  we  advance. 
It  was  now  fashionable  to  explain  Scripture  entirely  by 
the  writings  of  the  fathers.  No  man  was  permitted,  with 
impunity,  to  vary  in  the  least  from  their  decisions.  The 
great  apostolical  rule  of  interpretation,  namely,  to  com- 
pare spiritual  things  with  spiritual,*  was  in  a  manner  lost. 
It  was  deemed  sufficient  that  such  a  renowned  doctor 
had  given  such  an  interpretation.  Hence,  men  of  learn- 
ing and  industry  paid  n)ore  attention  to  the  fathers,  than 
to  the  sacred  volume,  whidi,  through  long  disuse  and 
neglect,  was  looked  on  as  obscure  and  perplexed,  and 
quite  unfit  for  popular  reading.  Even  divihe  truths  seem- 
ed to  derive  their  authority  more  from  the  word  of  man 
than  of  God;  and  the  writings  and  decrees  of  men  were 
no  longer  treated  as  witnesses,  but  usurped  the  office  of 
judges  of  divine  truth. 

The  popedom  also  grew  stronger  and  stronger.  Ig- 
norance and  superstition  were  so  predominant,  that  who- 
ever dared  to  oppose  the  bishop  of  Rome,  drew  upon 
himself  a  host  of  enemies.  All,  who  looked  for  advance- 
ment in  the  church,  attached  themselves  to  antichrist. 

*  1  Cor,  ii. 


14  lilSTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

The  great  accumulation  of  ceremonies,  the  observance 
of  which  was  looked  upon  as  absolutely  necessary  to  sal- 
vation, drew  off  the  attention  of  men  from  Christian 
piety.  The  all  important  article  of  justification  was  near- 
ly smothered  in  the  rubbish;  and  pastors  were  so  much 
taken  up  with  externals,  that  they  were  almost  entirely 
diverted  from  intellectual  improvement. 

All  attempts  to  inform  mankind  were  discouraged. 
Those  who  were  against  image-worship  contented  them- 
selves with  a  bare  assertion  of  their  creed.  Idolatry,  in 
the  mean  time,  was  practically  suppoited  by  the  whole 
power  and  influence  of  the  popedom.  Under  the  su- 
perstitious empress  Theodora,  it  triuujphed  in  the  east 
also. 

Amid  this  general  defection,  Ado,  archbishop  of  Vien- 
ne  in  France,  shone  as  a  bright  example.  He  was  inde- 
fatigable in  pressing  the  great  truths  of  salvation.  He 
usually  began  his  sermons  with  these,  or  the  like  words: 
"  Hear  the  eternal  truth,  which  speaks  to  you  in  the  gos- 
pel;" or  "  hear  Jesus  Christ,  who  saith  to  you."  He  took 
particular  care  of  the  examination  of  candidates  for  or- 
ders; and  was  a  very  diligent  disciplinarian.  He  per- 
mitted none,  who  were  ignorant  of  Christian  principles, 
to  be  sponsors  to  the  baptized,  or  to  be  joined  in  matri- 
mony, or  to  be  admitted  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  till  they 
were  better  instructed. 

In  England,  also,  the  decline  of  godliness  was  grievous. 
There  is  reason,  however,  to  believe,  that  a  devotional 
and,  probably,  an  evangelical  spirit  prevailed  in  some 
parts  of  the  British  isles.  For  monks,  in  Ireland  and 
Scotland,  who  gave  themselves  to  prayer,  preaching,  and 
teaching  in  the  middle  ages,  were  called  Culdees;  that  is, 
Cultores  Dei. 


Cent.  9.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  15 

Divine  Providence  punished  the  Saxons  by  the  invasion 
of  the  Danes,  the  most  lawless  and  the  most  savage  of  all 
mortals.  The  great  Alfred  was  indeed  raised  up  to  de- 
fend his  country  against  them.  And,  one  of  his  speeches, 
delivered  to  the  soldiers,  before  a  battle,  displays,  at  once, 
much  good  sense  and  a  spirit  of  religion. 

In  the  preface  to  Gregory's  Pastoral,*  a  book  translated 
into  English,  by  this  prince,  for  the  benefit  of  his  sub- 
jects, he  observes,  that  when  he  came  to  the  crown, 
there  were  very  few  south  of  the  IIumber,f  who  under- 
stood the  common  prayers  in  English,  or,  who  could 
translate  a  passage  of  Latin  into  the  language,  of  their 
own  country.  He  sent  copies  of  Gregory's  Pastoral  into 
every  diocese,  for  the  benefit  of  the  clergy:  with  the  same 
beneficent  design,  he  translated  also  Bede's  ecclesiastical 
history:  he  himself  constantly  attended  public  worship; 
and,  from  his  youth,  he  was  wont  to  pray  for  grace,  and 
to  use  serious  methods  to  subdue  his  passions. 

A  set  of  men,  called  the  Paulicians,  rose  in  the  east, 
who  appear  to  have  possessed  much  of  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel,  and  to  have  laboured  zealously  in  its  propagation. 
They  were  charged  with  various  errors  and  were  perse- 
cuted with  the  utmost  rigour.  Theodora  is  said  to  have 
slaughtered  one  hundred  thousand. 

The  pope  alluded  to  this  bloody  massacre,  when  he 
commends  Theodora  in  the  same  letter  for  the  manly  vi- 
gour she  exerted,  the  Lord  co-operating,J  as  he  blasphe- 
mously adds,  against  obstinate  and  incorrigible  heretics: 
and  moreover,  he  adds,  you  followed  the  directions  of  the 
Apostolical  see. 

*  Alfred  iinited  John  Scotus,  not  the  famous  John  Scotus  Erigena  from  Old 
Saxony  into  England ;  and  founded  the  University  of  Oxford.  That  of  Cam- 
bridge was  of  a  date  somewhat  later. 

f  Collier,  Vol.  I.  B.  3,  '      i  Domino  cooperante. 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.l. 

The  Paulicians,  at  length,  after  150  years  suffering, 
departed  fronri  their  principles  by  taking  up  arms.  From 
that  time,  though  they  shone  as  heroes,  they  declined  as 
Christians.  But  from  their  existence  during  180  years, 
the  term  we  may  allot  to  them,  they  show  the  power  of 
divine  grace  operating  to  wide  extent  at  the  very  time 
that  the  church  at  large  was  labouring  to  clothe  itself  in 
darkness.  Nor  was  the  west  without  some  fruits  of  the 
spirit. 

The  absolute  power  of  the  pope,  the  worship  of 
images,  and  the  invocation  of  Saints  and  Angels  were 
opposed,  as  in  the  last  century,  by  several  princes  and 
ecclesiastics.  A  council  at  Paris,  held  in  the  year  8^4, 
agreed  with  the  council  of  Frankfort  in  the  rejection  of 
the  decrees  of  the  second  council  of  Nice,  and  in  the 
prohibition  of  image-worship.  Agobard,  archbishop  of 
Lyons,  wrote  a  book  against  the  abuse  of  pictures  and 
images;  in  which  he  maintained,  that  we  ought  not  to 
worship  any  image  of  God,  except  that  which  is  God 
himself,  his  eternal  Son;  and,  that  there  is  no  other  Me- 
diator between  God  and  man,  except  Jesus  Christ,  both 
God  and  man. 

The  novel  notion  of  transubstantiation,  which  began 
to  show  itself,  was  vigorously  opposed.  In  Italy  itself, 
Angilbertus,  bishop  of  Milan,  refused  to  own  the  pope^s 
supremacy,  nor  did  the  church  of  Milan  submit  to  the 
Roman  see  till  two  hundred  years  afterwards. 

But  of  all  the  true  witnesses  of  the  day,  Claudius,  bi- 
shop of  Turin,  was  most  eminent.  He  has  some  title  to 
be  called  the  first  reformer.  By  his  writings  he  copiously 
expounded  the  Scriptures:  by  his  preaching,  he  labori- 
ously instructed  the  people:  "in  truth,''  says  Fleury,  "he 
began  to  preach  and  instruct  with  great  application.^' 


Cent.9r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  17 

The  caliimnieS;  with  which  his  principles  were  aspersed, 
are  abundantly  confuted  by  his  commentaries  on  various 
parts  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  still  extant  in  ma- 
nuscripts, in  various  French  libraries.  A  comment  on 
the  Epistle  to  the  Galatians  is  his  only  work  whicli  was 
committed  to  the  press.  In  it  he  every  where  asserts  the 
equality  of  all  the  Apostles  with  St.  Peter.  And,  indeed, 
he  always  declares  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  only  proper 
head  of  the  church.  He  is  severe  against  the  doctrine 
of  human  merits,  and  of  the  exaltation  of  traditions  to  a 
height  of  credibility  equal  to  that  of  tiie  Divine  Word. 
He  maintains  that  we  are  to  be  saved  by  faith  only;  holds 
the  fallibility  of  the  church;  exposes  the  futility  of  pray- 
ing for  the  dead,  and  the  sinfulness  of  the  idolatrous 
practices  then  supported  by  the  Roman  sec. 

Against  the  worship  of  the  saints,  he  quoted  the  writ- 
ings of  the  fathers  as  well  as  scripture.  "We  must  ho- 
nour them,  because  they  deserve  to  be  imitated,  not  wor- 
ship them  with  an  act  of  religion.  We  envy  not  their  bliss 
in  the  uninterrupted  enjoyment  of  God,  but  we  love  them 
the  more,  because  we  hope  for  something  correspondent 
to  these  their  excellencies,  from  him  who  is  our  God  as 
well  as  theirs.^^  These  things,  says  Claudius,  are  the 
strongest  mysteries  of  our  faith.  In  defending  ihis  truth, 
I  am  become  a  reproach  to  my  neighbours;  those,  who 
see  me,  scoff  at  me,  and  point  at  me  to  one  another.  But 
the  Father  of  mercies  and  the  God  of  all  consolations 
has  comforted  me  in  my  tribulations,*  that  I  may  be  able 
to  comfort  others,  who  are  oppressed  with  sorrow  and 
affliction.  I  rely  on  the  protection  of  him,  who  has  armed 
me  with  the  armour  of  righteousness  and  of  faith,  the 
tried  shield  of  my  eternal  salvation. 

*  2  Cor.  i. 
Vol.  II.  C 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  1. 

So  true  is  it  that  all  the  real  disciples  of  Christ  will 
be  persecuted  by  even  nominal  Christians.  This  world, 
however,  is  not  their  rest. 

Reproached  by  the  cliurcb,  he  thus  wrote:  "  Being 
obliged  to  acce|)t  the  bishopric,  when  I  came  to  Turin,  I 
found  all  the  churches  full  of  abominations  and  images; 
and  because  I  began  to  destroy  what  every  one  adored, 
every  one  began  to  open  his  mouth  against  me. — They 
say,  we  do  not  believe,  that  there  is  any  thing  divine  in 
the  image;  we  only  reverence  it  in  honour  of  the  person 
whom  it  represents.  I  answer,  if  they,  who  have  quitted 
the  worship  of  devils,  honour  the  images  of  saints,  they 
have  not  forsaken  idols;  they  have  only  changed  the 
names.  For  whether  you  paint  upon  a  wall  the  pictures 
of  St.  Peter  or  St.  Paul,  or  those  of  Jupiter,  Saturn,  or 
Mercury,  they  are  all  dead,  and  are  therefore  now  nei- 
ther gods,  nor  apostles,  nor  men.  If  you  worship  Peter 
or  Paul,  you  may  have  changed  the  name,  but  the  error 
continues  the  same.  If  men  must  be  adored,  there  would 
be  less  absurdity  in  adoring  them  when  alive,  while  they 
are  the  image  of  God,  than  after  they  are  dead,  when 
they  only  resemble  stocks  and  stones.  And  if  we  are  not 
allowed  to  adore  the  works  of  God,  much  less  are  we  al- 
lowed to  adore  the  works  of  men. — If  the  cross  of  Christ 
ought  to  be  adored,  because  he  was  nailed  to  it,  for  the 
same  reason  we  ought  to  adore  mangers,  because  he  was 
laid  in  one:  and  swaddling  clothes,  because  he  was 
wrapped  in  them."  He  goes  on  to  mention  other  in- 
stances, and  adds,  "we  have  not  been  commanded  to 
adore  the  cross,  but  to  bear  it;  and  to  deny  ourselves. — 
As  to  your  assertion  that  I  speak  against  the  going  to 
Rome  by  way  of  penance,  it  is  not  true;  Ineither  ap- 
prove nor  disapprove  such  pilgrimages;  to  some  they  are 


Cent..9.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  19 

not  uscfu],  to  others  they  are  not  prejiidicial.  It  is  a  great 
perversion  of  the  words  '  thou  art  Peter/  Sec.  to  infer 
from  them,  that  eternal  life  is  to  be  gained  by  a  journey 
to  Rome,  and  by  the  intercession  of  St,  Peter. — The 
Apostohc,  that  is,  the  pope,  is  not  he,  who  fills  the  see  of 
the  Apostle,  but  he,  who  discharges  its  duties."  His  ad- 
versaries could  bring  no  argument  against  him  save  tradi- 
tion and  the  usage  of  the  church. 

His  writings  were  eilhei'  suppressed  or  secreted.  The 
reign  of  idolatry  had  taken  place,  and  the  world  worship- 
ped the  "  beast."  The  labours,  however,  of  Claudius, 
were  not  in  vain.  In  his  own  diocese,  at  least,  be  check- 
ed the  growing  evil;  and  Romish  writers  have  owned, 
that  the  valleys  of  Piedmont,  which  belonged  to  his  bi- 
shopric, preserved  his  opinions  in  the  ninth  and  tenth 
centuries.  Whence,  it  is  probable,  that  the  churches  of 
the  Waldenses  were  either  derived,  or,  at  least,  received 
much  increase  and  confirmation  from  his  labours. 

The  gospel  was  spread  during  this  century  among  the 
Bulgarians  and  Sclavonians.  Moravia  also  received  the 
truth.  The  Russians,  too,  had  a  Christian  bishop  to  in- 
struct them. 

Among  the  circumstances  that  deserve  tor  be  recorded, 
the  following  is  one.  Frederic  of  Devonshire,  nephew 
to  Boniface,  (alias  Winfrid)  the  apostle  of  Germany,  so 
renowned  in  the  last  century,  was  appointed  bishop  of 
Utrecht,  and,  dining  with  the  emperor,  Lewis  the  Meek, 
was  exhorted  by  him  to  discharge  his  office  with  faithful- 
ness and  integrity.  The  bishop,  pointing  to  a  fish  on  the 
table,  asked  whether  it  was  proper  to  take  hold  of  it  by 
the  head  or  by  the  tail.  "  By  the  head,  to  be  sure/^  re- 
plied the  emperor.  "  Then  I  must  begin  my  career  of 
faithfulness,"  answered  Frederic,  "  with  your  majesty." 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChup.  1. 

He  proceeded  to  rebuke  the  emperor  for  an  incestuous 
connexion,  which  lie  openly  maintained  with  Judith  the 
empress;  and,  in  the  spirit  of  John  the  baptist,  told  him, 
"that  it  was  not  lawful  for  him  to  have  her."  Lewis  had 
not  expected  this  salute;  and,  like  Herod,  was  not  dis- 
posed to  give  up  his  Herodias.  No  sooner  did  the  cm- 
press  hear  of  this  rebuke,  than,  in  the  true  temper  of  an 
incensed  adulteress,  she  began  to  plot  the  destruction  of 
Frederic;  and,  by  the  help  of  assassins,  she  at  length  ef- 
fected it.  Frederic  being  mortally  wounded,  insisted, 
however,  that  no  blood  should  be  shed  on  his  account; 
and  died  in  a  spirit  of  martyrdom  worthy  of  the  relation 
of  Boniface. 

The  conduct  of  Anscarius  and  Vitmar,  two  missiona- 
ries to  Sweden,  ought  not  to  be  forgotten.  In  their  pas- 
sage they  were  met  by  pirates,  who  took  the  ship  and  all 
its  effects.  On  this  occasion,  Anscarius  lost  the  empe- 
ror's presents,  and  forty  volumes,  which  he  had  collected 
for  the  use  of  the  ministry.  But  his  mind  was  still  de- 
termined: and  he  and  his  partner  having  with  difficulty 
got  to  land,  they  gave  themselves  up  to  the  direction  of 
Providence,  and  walked  on  foot  a  long  way,  now  and 
then  crossing  some  arms  of  the  sea  in  boats.  Such  are 
the  triumphs  of  Christian  faith  and  love.  They  arrived 
at  Birca,  from  the  ruins  of  which,  Stockholm  took  its 
rise,  though  built  at  some  distance  from  it.*  The  king 
of  Sweden  received  them  favourably;  and  his  council 
unanimously  agreed  to  permit  them  to  remain  in  the 
country,  and  to  preach  the  gospel.  Success  attended 
their  pious  efforts.  Many  Christian  captives  in  Sweden 
rejoiced  at  the  opportunity  of  the  communion  of  saints 
which  was  now  restored  to  them;  and,  among  others,  He- 

*  Puffendorf's  Hist,  of  Sweden. 


Cent.lor\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  21 

ligarius,  governor  of  the  city,  was  baptized.  This  man 
erected  a  church  on  liis  own  estate,  and  persevered  in 
the  profession  and  support  of  the  gospe]. 

The  strong  faith  of  Anscarius  was  afterwards  tried  by 
various  vicissitudes;  but  he  had,  at  length,  the  satisfaction 
of  seeing  the  word  of  God  triumphant  in  both  Sweden 
and  Denmark. 


€cnt|j  Centurp* 


CHAPTER  I. 

Midnight  of  Pojiery. — Melhert. — Missions, — Theophylact. 

The  corruptions  of  this  period  were  so  monstrous,  that 
even  the  annahst  of  the  Roman  church,  notorious  for  his 
attachment  to  the  popedom,  could  say:  "This  was  an 
h'on  age,  barren  of  all  goodness;  a  leaden  age,  abounding 
in  all  wickedness;  and  a  dark  age,  remarkable  above  all 
others  for  the  scarcity  of  writers,  and  men  of  learning.* 
Christ  was  then,  as  it  appears  in  a  very  deep  sleep,  when 
the  ship  was  covered  with  waves;  and  what  seemed  worse, 
when  the  Lord  was  thus  asleep,  there  were  no  disciplies, 
who,  by  their  cries,  might  awaken  him,  being  themselves 
all  fast  asleep." 

The  crimes  of  the  popes  themselves  were  most  atro- 
cious. All  this,  however,  was  predicted.  The  book  of 
the  Revelation  may  justly  be  called  a  prophetic  history  of 
these  transactions,  and  the  truth  of  Scripture  is  vindi- 
cated by  events  of  all  others  the  most  disagreeable  to  a 
pious  mind. 

*  Baron.  Annal, 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  [tVu/p.  1. 

Still,  in  the  year  909,  a  council  was  held  at  Trosle,  a 
village  near  Soissons  in  France,  in  which  they  expressed 
their  sentiments  of  Christian  faith  and  practice,  without 
any  mixture  of  doctrine  that  was  peculiarly  popish.  Many 
churches  still  had  the  Scriptures  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 
Even  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation  itself,  the  favourite 
child  of  Pascasius  Radbert,  was  still  denied  by  many,  and 
could  not  as  yet  gain  a  firm  and  legal  establishment  in 
Europe.  Opposition  was  also  made  by  kings  and  councils 
to  the  authority  of  the  pope.     One  of  the  most  remark- 
able instances  of  this  kind  took  place  in  the  council  of 
Rheim^,  which  deposed  a  bishop  without  the  consent  of 
the  pope.     A  few  words  of  the  discourses  of  Arnulph, 
bishop  of  Orleans,  the  president,  may  deserve  to  be  dis- 
tinctly quoted.*     "  0  deplorable  Rome,  who  in  the  days 
of  our  forefathers  producedst  so  many  burning  and  shining 
lights,  thou  had  brought  forth,  in  our  times,  only  dismal 
darkness,  worthy  of  the  detestation  of  posterity:  What 
shall  we  do,  or  what  counsel  shall  we  take?    The  gospel 
tells  us  of  a  barren  fig-tree,  and  of  the  divine  patience 
exercised  toward  it.     Let  us  bear  with  our  primates  as 
long  as  we  can;  and,  in  the  mean  time,  seek  for  spiritual 
food,  where  it  is  to  be  found.     Certainly  there  are  some 
in  this  holy  assembly,  who  can  testify,  that  in  Belgium 
and  Germany,  both  which  are  near  us,  there  may  be 
found  real  pastors  and  eminent  men  in  religion.  Far  bet- 
ter would  it  be,  if  the  animosities  of  kings  did  not  prevent 
that  we  should  seek,  in  those  parts,  for  the  judgment  of 
bishops,  than  in  that  venal  city,  which  weighs  all  decrees 
by  the  quantity  of  money, — What  think  you,  reverend 

*  Bishop  Newton,  in  his  3d  Vol.  p.  161,  on  the  prophecies,  of  whom  I  have 
made  some  use  in  a  few  foregoing  sentences,  assigns  the  words  to  Gerbert,  of 
Rheims.  The  acts  of  the  synod  which  I  have  mentioned  show  his  mistake;  they 
expressly  ascribe  them  to  Arnulphus. 


Cent.  10.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  23 

fathers,  of  this  man,  the  pope,  placed  on  a  lofty  throne, 
shining  in  purple  and  gold?  whom  do  you  account  him? 
If  destitute  of  love,  and  pulfed  up  with  the  pride  of 
knowledge  only,  he  is  antichrist  sitting  in  the  tenjple  of 
God."*  ' 

There  is  an  ultimate  point  of  depression  in  morals, 
below  which  the  common  sense  of  mankind  and  the  in- 
terests of  society  will  not  permit  the  scandalous  profligacy 
of  governors,  whether  secular  or  ecclesiastic,  to  descend. 
The  church  of  Rome  had  sunk  to  this  point  in  the  pre- 
sent century.  Not  only  moral  virtue  itself,  but  even  the 
appearance  of  it,  was  lost  in  the  metropolis:  and  the 
church,  now  trampled  on  by  the  most  worthless  prelates, 
and  immersed  in  profanenesss,  sensuality,  and  lewdness, 
called  for  the  healing  aid  of  the  civil  magistrate.  Otho  I. 
emperor  of  Germany,  came  to  Rome:  and  by  the  united 
powers  of  the  civil  and  the  military  sword,  reduced  that 
capital  into  some  degree  of  order  and  decorum.  He  put 
an  end  to  the  irregular  and  infamous  customs  of  intruding 
into  the  popedom,  and  confirmed  to  himself  and  his  suc- 
cessors the  right  of  choosing  the  supreme  pontiff  in  fu- 
ture. The  consequence  was,  that  a  greater  degree  of 
moral  decorum  began  to  prevail  in  the  papacy,  though 
matter  of  fact  evinces  but  too  plainly,  that  religious  prin- 
ciple was  still  as  much  wanting  as  ever.  The  effect  of 
Otho's  regulations  was,  that  the  popes  exchanged  the 
vices  of  the  rake  and  the  debauchee,  for  those  of  the  am- 
bitious politician  and  the  hypocrite;  and  gradually  reco- 
vered, by  a  prudent  conduct,  the  domineering  ascen- 
dency, which  had  been  lost  by  vicious  excesses. 

A  man  eminent  in  this  century  was  Adelbert.  He  was 
born  in  956,  and  ordained  by  Diethmar,  archbishop  of 

*  2  Thess.  ii. 


24  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

Prague.     He  beheld  this  same  archbishop  dying  in  ter- 
rible agonies  of  conscience,  on  account  of  his  neglect  of 
pastoral  duty,  and  his  secular  avarice.    Adelbert  was  ap- 
pointed his  successor;  but  with  so  little  satisfaction  to 
himself,    that  he   was  never  seen  to  smile  afterwards. 
Being  asked  the  reason,  he  said,  "it  is  an  easy  thing  to 
wear  a  mitre  and  a  cross,  but  an  awful  thing  to  give  an 
account  of  a  bishopric,  before  the  Judge  of  quick  and 
dead."     Bohemia,  the  scene  of  his  diocese,  was  covered 
with  idolatry:  there  were  Christians,  indeed,  in  that  coun- 
try, but  chiefly  nominal  ones.     In  vain  did   tlie  pious 
archbishop  endeavour  to  reform  the  evils  and  abuses. 
The  people  undesignedly  gave  the  noblest  testimony  to 
his  sincerity,  when  they  observed,  that  it  was  impossible 
for  him  and  them  to  have  communion  with  each  other, 
because  of  the  perfect  opposition  of  life  and  conversation. 
Adelbert  sighing  over  the  wretched  objects  of  his  charge, 
and  still  willing  to  labour  in  the  best  of  causes,  travelled 
as  a  missionary  into  Poland,  and  planted  the  gospel  in 
Dantzic.     Here  his  labours  seem  to  have  been  crowned 
with  good  success.     In  visiting  a  small  island  he  was 
knocked  down  with  the  oar  of  a  boat:  however,  recover- 
ing himself,  he  made  his  escape,  rejoicing  that  he  was 
counted  worthy  to  suffer  for  the  name  of  Christ,  and  with 
his  fellow  labourers  quitted  the  place.     Indeed  he  was 
forced  to  flee  for  his  life;  and,  at  length,  was  murdered 
by  barbarians  in  Lithuania;  or,  as  some  think,  in  Prussia, 
about  the  year  997.   Siggo,  a  pagan  priest,  was  the  prin- 
cipal instrument  of  his  death.  He  is  commonly  styled  the 
apostle  of  Prussia,*  though  he  only  evangelized  the  city 
of  Dantzic,  which  is  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that  coun- 
try.    Such  was  Adelbert; — and  so  small  is  the  account 

*  Mosheira,  Cent.  XI.  Chap.  I. 


Cent,  10.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  25 

transmitted  to  us,  of  one  of  the  wisest  and  best  of  men, 
whom  God  had  raised  up  for  the  instruction  of  the  spe- 
cies,— a  man  wilUng  to  labour  and  to  suffer  for  Christ! 

The  gospel  was  restored  to  Hungary,  and  planted  in 
Norway  and  Poland.  The  Head  of  the  Church  evident- 
ly reserved  to  himself  a  i^odly  seed,  and  by  their  labours 
extended  the  knowledge  of  salvation. 

Specimens  of  gold,  such  as  the  following,  are  found 
among  the  rubbish. 

Theophylact,  a  writer  of  the  age,  thus  says,  "The 
righteousness  of  God  preserves  us,  not  our  own  righte- 
ousness: for  what  righteousness  can  we  have,  who  are 
altogether  corrupt?  But  God  hath  justified  us,  not  by 
our  works,  but  by  faith,  which  grace  ought  to  grow  more 
and  more  consummate;  as  the  apostle  said  unto  the  Lord, 
increase  our  faith.*  Truly  it  is  not  enough  to  have  once 
believed.  For,  as  the  benefits  of  divine  grace  exceed 
human  thoughts,  there  is  absolute  need  of  faith  to  con- 
ceive and  apprehend  them. — The  righteousness  of  God 
is  by  faith.  This  needs  not  our  labours  and  works;  but 
the  whole  belongs  to  the  grace  of  God.  Moses  asserts, 
that  man  is  justified  by  works.f  But  none  are  found  to 
fulfil  them.  Justification  by  the  law  is  therefore  render- 
ed impossible.  This  is  the  righteousness  of  God,  when 
a  man  is  justified  by  grace,  so  that  no  blemish,  no  spot  is 
found  in  him."J 

"O  rich  advantage,  exceeding  human  thought,  that 
every  one  who  believes  on  him,  gains  two  things,  one 
that  he  does  not  perish,  the  other,  that  he  has  eternal 

*  Luke  xvii.  5. 

f  He  appears  to  mean  the  same  thing  which  St.  Paul  does,  by  the  expres 
sion,  "Moses  describeth  the  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law,  that  the  man. 
which  doeth  those  things,  shall  live  by  them." — Kom.  x.  5. 

\  Cent.  Magd.  Id.  p.  78. 

Vol.  II.  D 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

life. — The  faith  of  Christ  is  a  holy  work,  and  sanctifies 
its  possessor.  It  is  a  guide  to  every  good  work:  for 
works  without  faith  are  dead,  and  so  is  faith  without 
works. — There  needs  not  the  circuitous  and  afflictive 
course  of  legal  works,  but  God  justifies  in  a  summary 
way,  those  who  believe.  For,  if  thou  confess  with  thy 
mouth  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  believe  in  thine  heart,  that 
God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be  saved.* 
— Faith  is  a  shield,  not  vain  sophisms,  not  fallacious  ar- 
guoientations.  These  hinder  the  soul,  faith  protects  it. 
— Know,  that  thou  must  not  exact  a  reason  from  God; 
but  however  he  dispose  of  thee,  thou  must  believe  him."t 
Giselbert,  another  writer,  says,  "  When  I  speak  of  the 
rigliteousness  of  God,  I  do  not  mean  his  absolute  righte- 
ousness, but  that  with  which  he  clothes  man,  when  he 
justifies  the  ungodly.  The  law  and  the  prophets  bear 
witness  to  this  righteousness.  The  law,  indeed,  by  com- 
manding and  threatening,  and  yet  justifying  no  man, 
sufficiently  indicates  that  man  is  justified  by  the  gift  of 
God,  through  the  quickening  Spirit. — From  God,  be- 
yond question,  arises  the  beginning  of  salvation,  never 
from  us,  nor  with  us.  But  the  consent  and  the  work, 
though  not  originating  from  us,  is,  however,  not  without 
us.^^l  Of  the  work  of  grace,  and  of  the  duty  of  man  in 
sanctification,  he  seems  to  speak  with  evangelical  accu- 
racy. Tiie  only  error  is,  that  by  speaking  of  justification, 
as  effected  through  the  quickening  Spirit,  he  seems  to 
confound  justification  with  sanctification. 

*  Rom.  X.         t  Cent.  Magd.  Id.  p.  83.  t  Cent.  Magd.  Id.  p.  78 


Cent.  11.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  21 

€\t\>mtf)  <Cmmv^, 

CHAPTER  I. 

Heretics. — England. — Jinsdm. — Spread  of  the  Gospel. — Crusades. 

The  arts  and  sciences  revived  in  some  degree  in  the 
west  during  thi§  century,  but  the  eastern  cliurch  suffered 
so  much  from  the  Turks  and  Saracens,  and  frou)  inter- 
nal divisions,  as  to  prevent  a  prog;ress  in  knowledge. 
William  the  Conqueror,  savage  and  imperious  as  he  was, 
restored  letters  to  England,  which,  amidst  the  Danish 
depredations,  had  been  almost  extinguished. 

In  the  year  1017,  certain  persons  were  discovered  in 
France,  who  were  charged  with  heresy,  and  on  their  re- 
fusal to  recant  before  a  council  held  at  Orleans,  thirteen 
of  them  were  burnt  alive.*  It  is  not  easy  to  say,  what 
was  the  true  character  of  these  men.  It  is  certain,  that 
they  opposed  the  then  reigning  superstitions,  and  that 
they  were  willing  to  suffer  for  the  doctrines  which  they 
espoused. 

Some  time  after  there  appeared,  in  Flanders,  another 
sect,  which  was  condemned  in  a  synod  held  at  Arras,  in 
the  year  1025,  by  Gerard,  bishop  of  Cambray  and  Arras. 
They  had  come  from  Italy,  being  the  disciples  of  Gun- 
dulphus,  who  taught  there  several  supposed  heretical 
doctrines.  Gerard  himself,  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
on  the  subject,  observes,  that  the  disciples  of  Gundul- 
phus  travelled  up  and  down  to  multiply  converts,  and 
that  they  had  withdrawn  many  from  the  belief  of  the  real 

*  Du  Pin.  1st.  Edit,  Vol.  IV.  Cent.  XI.  p.  110. 


2S  HISTORY  OF  THE  YChap.  1 


presence  in  the  sacrament.  "This,  said  they,  "is  our 
doctrine,  to  renounce  the  world,  to  bridle  the  lusts  of  the 
flesh,  to  maintain  ourselves  by  the  labour  of  our  own 
hands,  to  do  violence  to  no  man,  to  love  the  brethren. 
If  til  is  plan  of  righteousness  be  observed,  there  is  no 
need  of  baptism;  if  it  be  neglected,  baptism  is  of  no 
avail." 

Not  long  after  the  supposed  heretics  of  Orleans,  arose 

the  famous  Berengarius  of  Tours,  who  wrote  against  the 
doctrine  of  tlie  real  presence.  His  writings  called  forth 
the  most  learned  Romanists  to  defend  the  tenets  of  Pas- 
chasius  lladbertus;  and  Berengarius  was  compelled  to 
renounce,  and  to  burn  his  writings.  But  he  recanted 
again  and  aejain. 

In  England,  Elfric,  the  archbishop,  directed  in  one 
of  the  canons  publislied  at  a  council  in  which  he  pre- 
sided in  1006,  that  every  parish  priest  should  be  obliged 
on  Sui^.days  and  on  other  holidays,  to  explain  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Creed,  and  the  gospel  for  the  day,  before  the 
people,  in  the  English  tongue. 

Let  the  reader  who  has  seriously  considered  the  im- 
portance and  excellency  of  evangelical  truth,  reflect  on 
the  preciousness  of  the  doctrines,  w^hich  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Creed,  and  some  of  the  plainest  and  most 
practical  passages  of  the  New  Testament  do  either  ex- 
hibit or  imply;  and  he  will  be  convinced,  that,  if  the 
canon  of  Elfric  had  been  obeyed  with  any  tolerable  de- 
gree of  spirit  and  exactness  in  a  number  of  parishes  in 
England,  the  ignorance  and  darkness  could  not  have  been 
so  complete  nor  so  universal,  as  we  are  generally  taught 
to  believe  it  was.  The  gospels  read  in  the  churches,  I 
suppose,  were  either  the  same  as,  or  similar  to,  those 
which  are  read  at  this  day;  nor  is  it  to  be  imagined, 


Cent,  tl.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  ^ 

that  a  familiar  exposition  of  them,  in  conjunction  with 
the  Creed  and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  would  be  in  vain;  be- 
cause, in  every  age,  the  preaching  of  Christian  funda- 
mentals is  accompanied  with  a  divine  energy,  and  the 
word  returns  not  void  to  its  Divine  Author,  but  prospers 
in  the  thing  whereto  he  sends  it*  The  mixture  of  su- 
perstitious inventions  might  adulterate,  but  could  not 
altogether  destroy  the  efficacy  of  the  word  of  God. 

Under  William,f  the  papal  power,  which  hilherto  had 
by  no  means  been  so  absolute  in  England  as  in  the 
southern  countries,  began  to  be  felt  more  strongly,  and 
soon  reached  the  same  height,  which  it  had  attained  in 
France  and  Italy.  The  tyrant  found  it  a  convenient  en- 
gine for  the  support  of  his  own  despotic  authority:  and 
while  he  took  care  that  every  one  of  his  subjects  should, 
in  ecclesiastical  matters,  bow  under  the  yoke  of  a  bishop 
of  Rome,  he  reserved  to  himself  the  supreme  dominion 
in  civil  affairs,  and  exercised  it  with  the  most  unqualified 
rigour.  Lanfranc,  whom  he  appointed  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  zealously  supported  the  power  of  Rome, 
and  confirmed  the  absurd  doctrine  of  transubstantiation 
by  his  influence  and  authority.  Anselm,  his  successor, 
was  a  man  of  much  excellence,  though  led  away  by  the 
reigning  superstitions.  He  had  many  contests  with  Wil- 
liam Rufus  his  king,  who  indulged  in  the  rapacity  of  the 
Norman  princes.  At  one  time  William  demanded  of 
him  a  thousand  pounds.     He  offered  the  king  five  hun- 

*  Isaiah  Iv. 

■j-  Osmund,  a  Norman,  privy  counsellor  to  William  the  Conqueror,  afterwards 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  corrected  the  liturgy  used  in  his  diocese.  And  he  was 
thought  to  have  done  the  work  so  judiciously,  that  the  service  "In  Usum 
Sarum,"  was  received  in  other  dioceses,  and  became  common  throughout  Eng- 
land. For,  before  this  time,  every  diocese  had  its  appropriate  liturgy.  Col- 
lier's Eccles.  History. 


so  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

dred  pounds,  which  were  refused  in  disgust.  Anselm 
gave  the  sum  to  the  poor,  rather  than  rack  his  tenants  to 
douhle  it,  and  said  to  the  tyrant, — "If  I  am  used  accord- 
ing to  my  station,  all  I  have  is  at  your  service;  if  I  am 
treated  as  a  slave,  I  shall  keep  my  property  to  myself/^ 

Such,  however,  were  the  iniquities  of  the  tyrant,  that 
Anselm  withdrew  from  England  and  remained  retired 
upon  the  continent  until  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  He  wrote 
and  preached  during  his  exile  with  success,  and  he  at- 
tended one  council  in  which  he  displayed  great  power  of 
argument.  Toward  the  end  of  his  life,  he  wrote  on  the 
will,  predestination,  and  grace,  much  in  Augustine's 
manner.  In  prayers,  meditations,  and  hymns,  he  seems 
to  have  had  a  peculiar  delight.  Eadmer  says,  that  he 
used  to  say,  "  If  he  saw  Hell  open,  and  sin  before  him, 
he  would  leap  into  the  former,  to  avoid  the  latter. ^^ 

His  views  of  the  virtue  and  efficacy  of  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  he  thus  expresses:*  "  Christ  was  made  sin  for  us, 
that  is,  a  sacrifice  for  sin.  For,  in  the  law,  the  sacrifices 
which  are  offered  for  sins,  are  called  sins.  Hence  Christ 
is  called  sin,  because  he  was  offered  for  sin. — He  hath 
blotted  out  all  sin,  original  and  actual;  he  hath  fulfilled 
all  righteousness,  and  opened  the  kingdom  of  heaven. — 
By  one  offering  he  perfects  foreverif  for,  to  the  end  of 
the  world,  that  victim  will  be  sufficient  for  the  cleansing 
of  all  his  people.  If  they  sin  a  thousand  times,  they  need 
no  other  Saviour,  because  this  suffices  for  all  things,  and 
cleanses  every  conscience  from  sin." 

"  Thus,  Father  Almighty,  I  implore  thee  by  the  love 
of  thy  Almighty  Son;  bring  my  soul  out  of  prison,  that  I 
may  give  thanks  to  thy  name:  free  me  from  the  bonds  of 
sin;  I  ask  this  of  thee  by  the  only  coeternal  Son:  and  by 

*  On  2  Cor.  v.  f  Heb.  x. 


Cent,  n.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  SI 

the  intercession  of  thy  dearly  beloved  Son,  who  sitteth  at 
thy  right  hand,  graciously  restore  to  life  a  wretch,  over 
whom,  through  his  own  demerits,  the  sentence  of  death 
impends.  To  what  other  intercessor  I  can  have  recourse, 
I  know  not,  except  to  Him,  who  is  the  propitiation  for  our 
sins.*  That  the  only  begotten  Son,  should  undertake  to 
intercede  for  me,  with  theeternalFather,  demonstrates  him 
to  be  man;  and  that  he  should  succeed  in  his  intercession 
shows,  that  the  human  nature  is  taken  into  union  with 
the  majesty  of  the  deity  'f 

He  addresses  the  Son  of  God  as  "  the  Redeemer  of 
captives,  the  Saviour  of  the  lost,  the  hope  of  exiles,  the 
strength  of  the  distressed,  the  enlarger  of  the  enslaved 
spirit,  the  sweet  solace  and  refreshment  of  the  mournful 
soul,  .the  crown  of  conquerors,  the  only  reward  and  joy 
of  all  the  citizens  of  heaven,  the  copious  source  of  all 
grace.  "J 

The  gospel  was  established  during  this  century  in 
Hungary;  it  prospered  in  Norway,  and  spioad  among  the 
Sclavonians  and  the  tribes  in  their  neighbourhood. 

The  triumphs  of  the  gospel  in  Denmark  were,  upon 
the  whole,  very  conspicuous  in  this  century.  Hear  the 
account  of  Adam  of  Bremen,  who  wrote  concerning  the 
situation  of  this  country  in  the  year  1080.  "Look,"^ 
says  he,  "  at  tiiat  very  ferocious  nation  of  the  Danes — 
for  a  long  time  they  have  been  accustomed,  in  the  praises 
of  God,  to  resound  Alleluia.  Look  at  that  piratical 
people.  They  are  now  content  with  the  fruits  of  their 
own  country.  Look  at  that  horrid  region,  formerly  alto- 
gether inaccessible  on  account  of  idolatry;  they  now 
eagerly  admit  the  preachers  of  the  word.^^§ 

*  De  Vestiment.      f  Chap,  viii  Rom.        ±  Spec.  Scrmo.  Evang,  C.  lf> 
§  Gibbon,  vol.  v.  c.  55. 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

Toward  tlie  close  of  this  century,  the  northern  nations 
ceased  to  invade  the  southern  entirely.  Tlie  last  attempt 
was  made  by  Magnus,  king  of  Norway,  on  the  isle  of 
Anglesea;  but  he  was  repulsed  by  Hugh,  earl  of  Shrews- 
bury,* in  the  eleventh  year  of  William  Rufus.  '•  That 
restless  people  seem  about  this  time  to  have  learned  the 
use  of  tillage,  which  thenceforth  kept  them  at  home,  and 
freed  the  other  nations  of  Europe  from  the  devastations 
spread  over  them  by  those  piratical  invaders.  This  proved 
one  great  cause  of  the  subsequent  settlement  and  im- 
provement of  the  southern  nations." 

So  writes  the  infidel  Hume;  but  we  may  attribute  the 
change  to  the  gospel,  and  not  to  agriculture. 

But  what  more  especially  distinguished  the  11th  cen- 
tury, was  the  beginning  of  the  crusades.  Even  before 
the  violation  of  Palestine  by  the  Saracen  arms,  it  iiad 
been  a  prevailing  custom  among  the  Christians  of  Europe 
to  visit  those  scenes  rendered  interesting  by  religion, 
partly  through  delight  in  the  effects  of  local  association, 
partly  in  obedience  to  the  prejudices  or  commands  of 
superstition.  These  pilgrimages  became  more  frequent 
in  latter  times,  in  spite,  perhaps  in  consequence,  of  the 
danger  and  hardships  which  attended  them.  For  a  while 
the  Mohammedan  possessors  of  Jerusalem  permitted,  or 
even  encouraged  a  devotion  which  they  found  lucrative; 
but  this  was  interrupted,  whenever  the  ferocious  inso- 
lence, with  which  they  regarded  all  infidels,  got  the  bet- 
ter of  their  rapacity.  During  the  eleventh  century,  when 
from  increasing  superstition,  and  some  particular  fancies, 
the  pilgrims  were  more  numerous  than  ever,  a  change 
took  place  in  the  government  of  Palestine,  which  was 
overrun  by  the  Turkish  hordes  from  the  north.     These 

*  Hume,  vol.  i.  c.  v. 


Cenf.n.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  33 

barbarians  treated  the  visitors  of  Jerusalem  with  still 
greater  contumely,  mingling  with  their  Mohammedan 
bigotry,  a  consciousness  of  strength  and  courage,  and  a 
scorn  of  the  Christians,  whom  they  knew  only  by  the 
debased  natives  of  Greece  and  Syria,  or  by  these  humble 
and  defenceless  palmers.  When  such  insults  became 
known  throughout  Europe,  they  excited  a  keen  sensation 
of  resentment. 

Twenty  years  before  the  first  crusade,  Gregory  VII. 
had  projected  the  scheme  of  embodying  Europe  in  arms 
against  Asia;  a  scheme  worthy  of  his  daring  mind,  and 
which,  perhaps,  was  never  forgotten  by  Urban  II.  who 
in  every  thing  loved  to  imitate  his  great  predecessor.* 
This  design  of  Gregory  was  founded  upon  the  supplica- 
tion of  the  Greek  Emperor  Michael,  which  was  renew- 
ed by  Alexius  Coninenus  to  Urban,  with  increased  im- 
portunity. The  Turks  had  now  taken  Nice,  and  threat, 
ened,  from  the  opposite  shore,  the  very  walls  of  Constan- 
tinople. 

Peter,  a  hermit  of  Picardy,  roused  by  witnessed  wrongs, 
and  imagined  visions,  journeyed  from  land  to  land,  the 
apostle  of  an  holy  war.  The  preaching  of  Peter  was 
powerfully  seconded  by  Urban  In  the  councils  of  Pia- 
cenza  and  of  Clermont,  the  deliverance  of  Jerusalem 
was  eloquently  recommended  and  exultingly  undertaken. 
It  is  the  will  of  God!  was  the  tumultuous  cry  that  broke 
from  the  heart  and  lips  of  the  assembly  at  Clermont. 
This  was  in  1095. 

Every  means  were  used  to  excite  an  epidemical  frenzy; 

*  Gregory  addressed,  in  1074,  a  sort  of  encyclic  letter  to  all  who  would  de- 
fend the  Christian  faitli,  enforcing  upon  them  the  duty  of  taking  up  arms  against 
the  Saracens,  who  had  almost  come  up  to  the  walls  of  Constantinople.  No 
mention  of  Palestine  is  made  in  this  letter.  Labb6,  Concilia,  t.  x.  p.  44.  St. 
Marc,  Abr^ge  Chron.  de  I'Hist.  de  I'ltalie,  t.  iii,  p.  614. 

Vol.  II.  E 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

the  remission  of  penance,  the  dispensation  from  those 
practices  of  self-denial  which  superstition  imposed  or 
suspended  at  pleasure,  the  absolution  of  all  sins,  and  the 
assurance  of  eternal  felicity.  None  doubted  that  such 
as  perished  in  the  war  received  immediately  the  reward 
of  martyrdom.  False  miracles  and  fanatical  prophecies, 
which  were  never  so  frequent,  wrought  up  the  enthu- 
siasm to  a  still  higher  pitch.  The  priests  left  their  pa- 
rishes, and  the  monks  their  cells;  and  though  the  pea- 
santry were  then  in  general  bound  to  the  soil,  we  find 
no  check  given  to  their  emigration  for  this  cause.  Num- 
bers of  women  and  children  swelled  the  crowd;  it  ap- 
peared a  sort  of  sacrilege  to  repel  any  one  from  a  work 
which  was  considered  as  the  manifest  design  of  Provi- 
dence. But  few  undertakings  have  been  attended  with 
more  disasters.  So  many  crimes  and  so  much  misery 
have  seldom  been  accunudated  in  so  short  a  space,  as  in 
the  three  years  of  the  first  expedition.  We  should  be 
warranted  by  contemporary  writers  in  stating  the  loss  of 
the  Christians  alone  during  this  period  at  nearly  a  mil- 
lion: but,  at  the  least  computation,  it  must  have  exceed- 
ed half  that  number.*  To  engage  in  the  crusade,  and 
to  perish  in  it,  were  almost  synonymous.  Few  of  those 
myriads  who  were  mustered  in  the  plains  of  Nice  return- 
ed to  gladden  their  friends  in  Europe,  with  the  story  of 
their  triumph  at  Jerusalem.  Besieging  alternately  and 
besieged  in  Antioch,  they  drained  to  the  lees  the  cup  of 
misery:  three  hundred  thousand  sat  down  before  that 


*  William  of  Tyre,  says,  that  at  the  review  before  Nice,  there  were  found 
600,000  of  both  sexes,  exclusive  of  100,000  cavalry  armed  in  mail,  I.  ii.  c.  23. 
But  Fulk  of  Chartres  reckons  the  same  number,  besides  women,  children,  and 
priests.  An  immense  slaughter  had  previously  been  made  in  Hungary  of  the 
rabble  under  Gualtier  Sans-Avoii*. 


CeiitU.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST. -%^  n  35 

place;  next  year  there  remained  but  a  sixth  J7art.to  pur- 
sue the  enterprise.  But  llieir  losses  were  least  in  the 
field  of  battle;  other  causes  combined  with  the  sword. 


€ttJeIft{)  Ccnturp. 

CHAPTER  I. . 

Crusades. — Bernard. — The  Cathari. 

Just  at  the  close  of  the  foregoing  century,  pope  Urban* 
held  a  synod  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  bishops,  in  order 
to  promote  the  crusades,  and  exhorted  the  Christian 
world  to  concur  in  supporting  the  same  cause.  He  died 
in  the  year  1099,  and  Jerusalem  was  taken  by  the  cru- 
saders in  the  same  year.f  The  pale  of  the  visible  church 
was  extended  by  the  conquests  of  the  western  warriors, 
and  several  episcopal  sees  were  again  formed  in  regions, 
w^hence  the  light  of  the  gospel  had  first  arisen  to  bless 
mankind.  But  these  were  of  short  duration;  and,  what 
is  much  more  material  to  be  observed,  while  they  con- 
tinued, they  gave  no  evidence,  that  I  can  find,  of  the 
spirit  of  true  religion.  This  is  a  circumstance,  which 
throws  a  very  unpleasing  shade  on  the  whole  character 
of  the  fanatical  war  which  at  that  time  agitated  both 
Europe  and  Asia.  Among  a  thousand  evils  which  it 
produced,  or  at  least  encouraged,  this  was  one,  namely, 
that  indulgencies  were  now  diffused  by  the  popes  through 
Europe,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  what  they  called 
the  holy  war.     These  had  indeed  been  sold  before  by 

*  This  pope,  viz.  Urban  U.  held  the  famous  council  here  mentioned,  at  Cler- 
mont in  Auvergne,  A.  D.  1095,  for  the  recovery  of  the  Holy  Land, 
f  Baronius,  Cent.  XH. 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  1. 

the  inferior  dignitaries  of  the  church,  who,  for  money, 
remitted  the  penalties  imposed  on  transgressors:  they 
have  not,  however,  pretended  to  abohsh  the  punishments, 
which  await  the  wicked  in  a  future  state.  This  impiety 
was  reserved  to  the  pope  himself,  who  dared  to  usurp 
the  authority  which  belongs  to  God  alone.  The  cor- 
ruption having  once  taken  place,  remained,  and  even  in- 
creased from  age  to  age,  till  the  time  of  the  reformation. 
It  is  needless  to  say,  how  subversive  of  all  piety  and  vir- 
tue this  practice  must  have  been.  That  the  Romanists 
did  really  promote  this  impious  traffic  is  but  too  evident 
from  their  own  writers.*  Hence  the  strict  propriety  of 
St.  Paul's  representation  of  the  man  of  sin,  as  showing 
himself  that  he  is  God,j  is  evinced;  hence,  the  charac- 
ters of  those,  who  opposed  the  power  and  doctrine  of 
popery  in  those  times,  received  the  most  ample  vindica- 
tion, and  hence  the  merit  of  the  reformation  itself  may, 
in  a  great  measure,  be  appreciated.  I  only  add,  that  the 
whole  discipline  of  the  church  was  now  dissolved,  and 
men,  who  had  means  to  purchase  a  license  to  sin,  were 
emboldened  to  let  loose  the  reins  of  vice,  and  follow,  at 
large,  their  own  desires  and  imaginations. 

The  conquests  obtained  by  the  first  crusade  were  con- 
stantly molested  by  the  Mohammedans  of  Egypt  and 
Syria.  They  were  exposed,  as  the  out-post  of  Christen- 
dom, with  no  respite,  and  few  resources.  A  second  cru- 
sade, in  which  the  emperor  Conrad  III.  and  Louis  VII. 
of  France  were  engaged,  each  with  seventy  thousand 
cavalry,  made  scarce  any  diversion;  and  that  vast  army 
wasted  away  in  the  passage  of  Natolia. 

•  See  Moshejm,  Cent.  XU.  p.  595.  Qu.  Edit.  Morinus,  Simon,  and  Mabil- 
lon,  are  the  popish  authors,  who  are  not  ashamed  to  vindicate  this  system  of 
iniquity. 

1 2  Thess.  ii. 


Cent.  12.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  37 

But  a  perpetual  supply  of  warriors  was  poured  in  from 
Europe,  and  in  this  sense,  the  crusades  may  be  said  to 
have  lasted  without  intermission  during  the  whole  period 
of  the  Latin  settlements.  Of  these  defenders,  the  most 
renowned  were  the  mihtary  order  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Temple  and  of  the  Hospital  of  St.  John,*  which  were 
instituted,  the  one  in  1124,  the  other  in  1118,  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  protecting  the  Holy  Land.  The  Teu- 
tonic order,  established  in  1190,  when  the  kingdom  of 
Jerusalem  was  falling,  soon  diverted  its  schemes  of  holy 
warfare  to  a  very  different  quarter  of  the  world.  Large 
estates,  as  well  in  Palestine,  as  throughout  Europe,  en- 
riched the  two  former  institutions;  but  the  pride,  rapa- 
ciousness,  and  misconduct  of  both,  especially  of  the 
Templars,  seem  to  have  balanced  the  advantages  derived 
from  their  valour.  At  length  the  famous  Saladin,  usurp- 
ing the  throne  of  a  feeble  dynasty  which  had  reigned  in 
Egypt,  broke  in  upon  the  Christians  of  Jerusalem;  the 
king  and  kingdom  fell  into  his  hands:  nothing  remained 
but  a  few  strong  towns  upon  the  sea-coast. 

These  misfortunes  roused  once  more  the  princes  of 
Europe,  and  the  third  crusade  was  undertaken  by  her 
three  greatest  sovereigns,  in  personal  estimation  as  well 
as  dignity;  by  the  emperor  Frederic  Barbarossa,  Philip 
Augustus  of  France^  and  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  of  Eng- 
land. But  this,  like  the  preceding  enterprise,  failed  of 
permanent  effect;  and  those  feats  of  romantic  prowess, 
which  made  the  name  of  Richard  so  famous  both  in  Eu- 
rope and  Asia,!  proved  only  the  total  inefficacy  of  all 

•  The  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  was  neither  the  Evangelist,  nor  yet  tlie  Baptist, 
but  a  certain  Cypriot,  surnamed  the  Charitable,  who  had  been  patriarch  of 
Alexandria. 

■j-  When  a  Turk's  horse  started  at  a  bush,  he  would  chide  him,  Joinville  says, 
with,  Cuides  tu  qu'  y  soit  le  roy  Richard  ?  Women  kept  their  children  quiet 
with  the  threat  of  bringing  Richard  to  them. 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

exertions  in  an  attempt  so  radically  absurd.  Palestine 
was  never  the  scene  of  another  crusEide.  One  great  ar- 
mament was  diverted  to  the  siege  of  Constantinople;  and 
another  wasted  in  fruitless  attempts  upon  Egypt.  The 
emperor  Frederick  II.  afterwards  procured  the  restora- 
tion of  Jerusalem  by  the  Saracens;  but  the  Christian 
princes  of  Syria  were  unable  to  defend  it,  and  their  pos- 
sessions were  gradually  reduced  to  the  maritime  towns. 
Acre,  the  last  of  these,  was  finally  taken  by  storm  in 
1291;  audits  ruin  closes  the  history  of  the  Latin  do- 
minion in  Syria,  which  Europe  had  already  ceased  to 
protect. 

A  man  of  great  eminence  in  this  century,  was  Ber- 
nard, abbot  of  Clairval.  He  was  born  at  Fontaine,  a 
village  of  Burgundy,  in  the  year  1091;  and  was  the  son 
of  Tecelinus,*  a  military  nobleman,  renowned  for  piety, 
at  least  according  to  the  ideas  of  religion  prevalent  at 
that  time.  The  san)e  character  is  given  of  his  mother 
Aleth.  She  had  seven  children,  of  whom  Bernard  was 
the  third.  From  his  infancy  he  was  devoted  to  religion 
and  study,  and  made  a  rapid  proficiency  in  the  learning 
of  the  times.  He  took  an  early  resolution  to  retire  from 
the  world,  and  engaged  all  his  brothers  and  several  of 
his  friends  in  the  same  monastic  views  with  himself  The 
most  rigid  rules  were  agreeable  to  his  inclinations:  and, 
hence,  he  became  a  Cistertian,  the  strictest  of  the  orders 
in  France.  The  Cistertians  were  at  that  time  but  few 
in  number:  men  were  discouraged  from  uniting  with 
them  on  account  of  their  excessive  austerities.  Bernard, 
however,  by  his  superior  genius,  his  eminent  piety,  and 
his  ardent  zeal,  gave  to  this  order  a  lustre  and  a  celebrity 
which  their  institution  by  no  means  deserved.     At  the 

*  Life  of  Bernard  by  Gulielmus,  1077. 


Cent.  12.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  39 

age  of  twenty-three,  with  more  than  thirty  companions, 
he  entered  into  the  monastery.  Other  houses  of  the  or- 
der arose  soon  after,  and  he  himself  was  appointed  abbot 
of  Clairval.*  To  those  novitiates,  who  desired  admission, 
he  used  to  say,  "  If  ye  hasten  to  those  things,  which  are 
within,  dismiss  your  bodies,  which  ye  brought  from  the 
world;  let  the  spirits  alone  enter;  the  flesh  profile th  no- 
thing." Strange  advice  this  may  seem,  and  very  dilfer- 
ent  from  the  meekness  and  facility  which  our  Saviour 
exhibited  towards  young  disciples. f  Nor  would  it  be 
worth  while  to  have  mentioned  it  at  all,  but  that  it  evinces 
the  extreme  disadvantages,  which  then  attended  the  pur- 
suit of  religious  knowledge,  and  the  cultivation  of  piety. 
Yet,  amidst  all  these  disagreeable  austerities,  the  soul  of 
Bernard  was  inwardly  taught  of  God;  and,  as  he  grew 
in  divine  life  he  gradually  learned  to  correct  the  harsh- 
ness and  asperity  of  his  sentiments.  Finding  the  novi- 
tiates to  be  terrified  at  his  severe  declarations,  he  used 
to  preach  to  them  the  mortification  of  carnal  concupis- 
cence, and  lead  them  on  with  a  mildness  and  clemency, 
which,  however,  he  did  not  exercise  toward  himself.  He 
injured  his  health  exceedingly  by  austerities,  and,  as  he 
afterwards  confessed,  threw  a  stumbling  block  in  the  way 
of  the  weak,  by  exacting  of  them  a  degree  of  perfection 
which  he  himself  had  not  attained.  He  had  induced  all 
his  brethren  to  follow  his  example  of  retirement.  They 
were  five  in  number;  and  his  only  sister  still  remained 
in  the  world,  who,  coming  to  visit  the  brethren  in  the 
monastery,  in  the  dress  and  with  the  attendance  of  a  lady 
of  quality,  found  herself  treated  with  such  neglect,  that 
bursting  into  tears,  she  said,  "  though  I  am  a  sinner, 
nevertheless  for   such  Christ  died."     Bernard,   moved 

»  Life  of  Bernard,  1085.  f  Matthew  ix.  14. 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  1. 

with  an  expression  so  truly  evangelical,  remitted  his  se- 
verity, gave  her  directions  suited  to  the  taste  of  the  age, 
and,  probably,  still  better  advice. 

Bernard,  however,  having  reduced  himself  to  the  great- 
est weakness  by  his  absurd  excesses,  and  being  obliged 
to  take  more  care  of  his  health,  was  humbled  under  a 
sense  of  his  folly,  and  frankly  confessed  it,  in  the  strong- 
est terms  *  He  recovered  his  strength,  and  began  to 
exert  himself,  by  preaching,  and  travelling  from  place  to 
place,  for  the  real  good  of  mankind.  It  is  wonderful  to 
observe,  with  what  authority  he  reigned  in  the  hearts  of 
men  of  all  ranks,  and  how  his  word  became  a  law  to 
princes  and  nobles.  His  eloquence,  indeed,  was  very 
great;  but  that  alone  could  never  have  given  him  so  ex- 
tensive a  dominion.  His  sincerity  and  humility  were 
eminent,  and  his  constant  refusal  of  the  highest  ecclesi- 
astical dignities,  for  which  he  was,  doubtless,  as  well 
qualified  as  any  person  of  his  time,  gave,  in  his  circum- 
stances, an  unequivocal  testimony  to  the  uprightness  of 
his  character. 

That  which  eminently  marked  the  character  of  Ber- 
nard, anjidst  the  profusion  of  honours  heaped  on  his  cha- 
racter throughout  Europe,  was  his  undissembled  humility. 
Though  no  potentate,  whether  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  pos- 
sessed such  real  power  as  he  did  in  the  Christian  world, 
and  though  he  was  the  highest  in  the  judgment  of  all 
men,  he  was  nevertheless,  in  his  own  estimation,  the 
lowest.  He  said,  and  he  felt  what  he  said;  namely,  that 
he  had  neither  the  will  nor  the  power  to  perform  the 
services,  for  which  he  was  so  much  extolled,  but  was 
wholly  indebted  to  the  influence  of  divine  grace.  At  in- 
tervals, from  the  employments  of  ecclesiastical  affairs,  he 

*  Id.  1094. 


Cent.  12.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  41 

meditated  on  the  subject  of  the  book  of  Canticles.  The 
love  of  Christ  toward  liis  church,  his  great  condescension 
towards  it,  though  sullied  and  dishonoured  by  sin,  the 
reciprocal  affection  also  of  the  church  toward  the  divine 
Saviour,  the  prelibations  of  his  love  afforded  toward  her, 
varied  however  with  anxieties  and  interruptions,  these 
subjects  engaged  his  attention,  and  he  wrote  on  them  in 
that  manner  which  experience  only  can  dictate.* 

Abelard,  a  self-sufficient  teacher,  of  shallow^  knowledge, 
but  great  pretensions,  having  advanced  certain  errors 
concerning  the  Trinity,  and,  as  a  necessary  consequence, 
denied  the  doctrine  of  atonenient  and  the  influences  of 
divine  grace,  Bernard  opposed  him,  and  demonstrated 
the  inconsistency  of  his  views,  with  the  gospel.  In  so 
doing,  he  thus  presented  the  truth: — As  in  Adam  all  die, 
so  in  Christ  shall  all  be  made  alive.  The  fault  has  truly 
laid  hold  of  me,  but  grace  has  also  visited  me.  If  the 
judgment  was  by  one  to  condemnation,  the  free-gift  was 
of  many  offences  unto  justification.!  Nor  do  I  fear, 
being  thus  freed  from  the  powers  of  darkness,  to  be  re- 
jected by  the  Father  of  lights,  since  I  am'  justified  freely 
by  the  blood  of  his  Son.  He  who  pitied  the  sinner,  will 
not  condemn  the  just.  I  call  myself  just,  but  it  is  through 
his  righteousness.  For  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for 
righteousness,|  and  he  is  made  of  God  for  us  righteous- 
ness.§  Thus  is  man  made  righteous  by  the  blood  of  the 
Redeemer;  though  Abelard,  this  man  of  perdition,  thinks 
the  only  use  of  his  coming  was,  to  deliver  to  us  good  rules 
of  life,  and  to  give  us  an  example  of  patience  and  cha- 
rity. Is  this  then  the  whole  of  the  great  mystery  of  god- 
liness, this  which  any  uncircumcised  and  unclean  person 
may  easily  penetrate.^     What  is  there  in  this  beyond  the 

*  Life  of  Bernard,  1123.      f  ^o™- v- 16.      t  Rom.  x.  4.       §  1  Cor.  i.  30. 
Vol.  II.  F 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

common  light  of  nature?     But  it  is  not  so:  for  the  natu- 
ral man  receiveth  not  tlie  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God.* 
Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent;| 
and,  if  our  gospel  be  hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost.  J 
— He  asks,  had  the  devil  dominion  over  Abraham  and 
the  other  elect?     No;  but  he  would  have  had,  if  they 
had  not  been  freed  by  faith  in  him  that  was  to  come. 
As  it  is  written,  Abraham  believed  God,  and  it  was  im- 
puted to  him  for  righteousness;  and  Abraham  rejoiced 
to  see  my  day;  he  saw  it,  and  was  glad.     It  was  the 
blood  of  Christ,  which  like  dew  distilled  on  LazarUs,  and 
preserved  him  from  the  flames  of  hell  through  faith  in 
him  who  was  to  suffer.     We  must  believe  of  iall  the  elect 
of  that   time,  that   they  were   born  as   we  are,   under 
the  powei"s  of  darkness,  but  were  thence  delivered  before 
they  died;  and  that  only  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 

There  were  some  faithful  champions  of  primitive  spi- 
ritual devotion  in  this  century,  who  opposed  the  reigning 
superstitions  into  which  Bernard  had  fallen. 

Evervinus  of  Stemfeld,  in  the  diocese  of  Cologne, 
wrote  to  Bernard,  a  little  before  the  year  1140,  a  letter, 
preserved  by  Mabilion,  concerning  certain  heretics  in  his 
neighbourhood. §  lie  was  perplexed  in  his  mind  con- 
cerning them,  and  wrote  for  a  resolution  of  his  doubts 
to  the  renowned  abbot,  whose  word  was  law  at  that  time 
hi  Christendom.  Some  extracts  of  this  letter  are  as  fol- 
lows: "  There  have  been  lately  some  heretics  discovered 
among  us  near  Cologne,  though  several  of  them  have, 
with  satisfaction,  returned  again  to  the  church.  One  of 
their  bishops  and  his  companions  openly  opposed  us  in 
the  assembly  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  in  the  presence  of 

*  2  Cor.  ii.  14.  f  Matt.  xi.  25.  +  2  Cor.  W.  3. 

§  AUix,  Churches  of  Piedmont,  p.  140. 


Cent.  12.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  43 

the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  of  many  of  the  nobility, 
defending  their  heresies  by  the  words  of  Clirist  and  the 
apostles.  Finding  timt  they  made  no  impression,  they 
desired  that  a  day  might  be  appointed  for  them,  on  which 
they  might  bring  their  teachers  to  a  conference,  pro- 
mising to  return  to  the  church,  provided  they  found  their 
masters  unable  to  answer  the  arguments  of  their  oppo- 
nents, but  that  otherwise  they  would  rather  die,  tlian  de- 
part fiom  their  judgment.  Upon  this  declaration,  having 
been  admonished  to  repent  for  three  days,  they  were 
seized  by  the  people  in  the  excess  of  zeal,  and  burnt  to 
death;  and  what  is  very  amazing,  they  came  to  the  slake, 
and  bare  the  pain,  not  only  with  patience,  but  even  with 
joy.  Were  I  with  you,  father,  I  should  be  glad  to  ask 
you,  how  these  members  of  Satan  could  persist  in  their 
heresy  with  such  courage  and  constancy,  as  is  scarcely 
to  be  found  in  the  most  religious  believers  of  Chris- 
tianity?" 

This  people  of  Cologne  were  true  Protestants.  Egbert, 
a  monk,  and  afterwards  abbot  of  Schonauge,  tells  us,* 
that  he  had  often  disputed  with  these  heretics,  and  says, 
"  These  are  they  who  are  commonly  called  Cathari." 
Egbert  adds,  that  they  were  divided  into  several  sects, 
and  maintained  their  sentiments  by  the  authority  of  scrip- 
ture. See  by  the  confession  of  an  enemy  their  venera- 
tion for  the  divine  word,  and  their  constant  use  of  it,  in 
an  age  when  the  autliority  of  Scripture  was  weakened, 
and  its  light  exceedingly  obscured,  by  a  variety  of  tradi- 
tions and  superstitions.  "  They  are  armed,"  says  the 
same  Egbert,  "  with  all  those  passages  of  Holy  Scripture, 
which  in  any  degree  seem  to  favour  their  views;  with 
these  they  know  how  to  defend  themselves,  and  to  oppose 

*  AUix,  p.  149. 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChajj.  1, 

the  Catholic  truth,  though  they  mistake  entirely  the  true 
sense  of  Scripture,  which  cannot  be  discovered  without 
great  judgment/' — "  They  are  increased  to  great  multi- 
tudes throughout  all  countries — tlieir  words  eat  like  a 
canker.  In  Germany  we  call  them  Cathari;  in  Flanders 
they  call  them  Pipiiles:  in  Frencli  Tisserands,  because 
many  of  them  are  of  that  occupation/^* 

The  Cathari  were  a  plain,  unassuming,  harmless,  and 
industrious  race  of  Chiistians,  condemning,  by  their  doc- 
trine and  manners,  the  whole  apparatus  of  the  reigning 
idolatry  and  superstition,  placing  true  religion  in  the  faith 
and  love  of  Christ,  and  retaining  a  supreme  regard  for 
the  divine  word.  Their  numbers  were  very  considerable 
in  this  century;  and  Cologne,  Flanders,  the  south  of 
France,  Savoy,  and  Milan,  were  their  principal  places  of 
residence. 

"  They  declare/'  says  Figbert,  "  that  the  true  faith  and 
worsliip  of  Christ  is  no  where  to  be  found  but  in  their 
meetings,  which  they  hold  in  cellars  and  weaving-rooms. 
If  ever  they  do  accompany  the  people  with  whom  they 
dwell,  to  hear  mass,  or  to  receive  the  sacrament,  they  do 
it  in  dissimulation,  that  they  may  be  thought  to  believe 
what  they  do  not;  for  they  maintain,  that  the  priestly  or- 
der has  perished  in  the  Roman  church,  and  is  preserved 
only  in  their  sect."  They  attended  the  public  worship, 
much  in  the  same  manner,  as  the  apostles  themselves  did 
to  the  Jewish  church,  while  it  existed,  still  preserving  an 
union  among  themselves  in  worship,  and  in  hearing  ser- 
mons, so  far  as  the  iniquity  of  the  times  would  permit. 
It  were  to  be  wished,  that  all  serious  Christians  had  acted 
in  that  manner,  and  had  not  been  so  hasty  as  some  of 
them  have  been,  in  forming  a  total  separation  from  the 

*  Thut  is,  weavers;  see  Du  Pin,  Cent.  xii.  p.  88. 


Cent.  12.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  45- 

general  chiiVch,  then  the  happy  influence  of  their  views 
in  religion  might  have  spread  more  powerfully;  nor  is 
there  any  particular  danger  that  they  themselves  would 
have  received  infection  from  the  world,  while  they  were 
estranged  from  it  in  practice  and  in  manners.  After  all, 
circumstances  may  arise,  when  an  entire  separation  from 
the  whole  body  of  nominal  Christians  may  become 
necessary  to  the  people  of  God.  But  this  should  never 
be  attempted  with  precipitation.  And  the  meekness  and 
charity,  which  the  Cathari  exhibited  in  this  point,  seem 
highly  laudable. 

Such  was  the  provision  of  Divine  grace,  to  take  out  of 
a  corrupt  and  idolatrous  world  of  nominal  Christians,  a 
people  formed  for  himself,  who  should  show  forth  his 
praise,  and  who  should  provoke  the  rest  of  mankind  by 
the  light  of  true  humility,  and  holiness;  a  people,  singu- 
larly separate  from  their  neighbours  in  spirit,  manners, 
and  discipline;  rude  indeed,  and  illiterate,  and  not  only 
discountenanced,  but  even  condemned  by  the  few  real 
good  men,  who  adhered  altogether  to  the  Romish  church, 
condemned,  because  continually  misrepresented.  I  know 
not  a  more  striking  proof  of  that  great  truth  of  the  divine 
word,  that,  in  the  worst  of  times,  the  church  shall  exist, 
and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it. 

In  the  east,  it  is  probable  the  church  existed  among 
the  remains  of  the  Paulicians.  For  in  the  year  1118, 
Alexius  Comnenus,  who  had  zealously  persecuted  this 
people  in  the  latter  end  of  the  foregoing  century,  burned 
a  supposed  Manichee,  who  was  charged  with  maintaining 
all  the  absurdities  of  Manes.  We  have  the  account  from 
the  female  historian,  his  own  daughter,  Anna  Comnena, 
who  every  where  idolizes  the  character  of  her  father.* 

*  Anna  Comnena,  b,  xv. 


4G  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

The  supposed  heretic,  however,  it  ought  to'  he  known, 
rejected  the  worship  of  images  as  idolatry;*  a  circum- 
stance, which  at  least  affords  a  strong  presumption  in 
favour  of  his  Christian  character.  The  reader  will  hence 
be;  led  to  believe  it  not  improbable,  that  there  were 
even  then  some  relics  of  a  church  of  God  in  the  east. 

It  is  no  small  consolation  to  the  mind  of  a  true  believer, 
that  the  most  disastrous  as  well  as  the  most  glorious 
scenes  of  tiie  church,  are  predicted  in  Scripture.  The 
evidence  of  prophecy  constantly  accompanies  the  light  of 
history,  and  "behold  I  have  told  you  before,"  is  the  voice 
of  our  Saviour,  which  we  hear  in  every  age.  In  a  coun- 
cil held  at  Loudon  in  1108,  in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  a 
decree  was  issued  against  clerks  who  should  cohabit  with 
women. f  This  council  did  not  mean  to  give  an  attesta- 
tion to  the  truth  of  the  prophecy  of  St.  Paul,  concerning 
the  apostacy  of  the  latter  days,  one  circumstance  of 
which  was  the  prohibition  of  marriage,J  but  they  fulfilled 
the  prophecy  in  the  clearest  manner.  The  voices  of 
natural  conscience  and  of  common  sense  were,  however, 
by  no  means  altogether  silenced  during  this  gloomy 
season.  Fluentius,  bishop  of  Florence,§  taught  publicly, 
that  antichrist  was  born,  and  come  into  the  world;  on 
which  account  pope  Paschal  II.  held  a  council  there  in 
the  year  1105,  reprit'ianded  the  bishop,  and  enjoined 
him  silence  on  that  subject.  Even  Bernard  himself  in- 
veighed so  strongly  against  the  popes  and  the  clergy,  that 
nothing  but  the  obstinate  prejudices  of  education  pre- 
vented him  from  seeing  the  whole  truth  in  this  matter. 
It  was  natural  for  men,  who  reverenced  the  Scriptures, 
and  who  compared  what  they  read  of  antichrist  with 

*  Baron.  Cent.  xii.  f  Baron.  Cent.  xii. 

i  1  Tim.  iv.        §  See  Bp.  Newton  on  the  Prophecies,  vol.  iii.  p.  167. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.     '  47 

what  they  saw  in  the  church  of  Rome,  to  express  some 
suspicions,  that  the  propliecy  was  then  fullilhng,  though 
the  glare  of  fictitious  holiness,  vvliich  covered  t!ie  pope- 
dom, prevented  them  from  beholding  their  object  with 
perspicuity. 

Pomerania  received  the  gospel  during  this  century,  as 
did  also  the  island  of  Rugen  in  its  neighbourhood.  Here 
shone  Absalom,  archbishop  of  Lunden,  by  whose  pious 
labours,  at  length,  the  gospel  received  an  establishment 
in  this  island,  which  had  so  long  baffled  every  attempt  to 
evangelize  it.  Absalom*  ought  to  be  classed  among 
those  genuine  benefactors  of  mankind,  who  were  willing 
to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  good  of  souls.  .  The  truth 
made  its  way  into  Finland  also. 

Notwithstanding  the  corruptions  that  accompanied  the 
gospel,  such  and  so  great  is  its  intrinsic  excellence,  that, 
wherever  it  went,  it  carried  a  large  measure  of  improve- 
ment and  of  happiness.  The  light  of  the  sun,  though 
shining  through  clouds,  is  preferable  to  midnight. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TValilo  and  the  TValdenses. 

We  are  approaching  the  dawn  of  a  brighter  era,  and 
it  becomes  us  gratefully  to  contemplate  its  commence- 
ment. Enjoying  the  pure  light  of  the  gospel,  we  ought 
frequently  to  look  at  the  trials  and  the  efforts  of  those 
who  w^ere  the  instruments  of  preserving  for  us  that  light. 

*  Mosheim,  xii.  Cent.  351.    Cent,  Magd.  xii.  Cent.  13. 


48  HISTORY  OF  THE  .    IChap.  1. 

But  for  the  reformers,  we  of  Protestant  lands,  should 
have  been  groaning  under  the  abominations  of  the  papacy, 
having  no  more  than  the  glimmering  reflected  upon  us 
through  its  darkness.  May  our  souls  be  sensible  of  their 
privileges,  and  may  we  be  grateful  to  their  Divine  Author. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  12th  century  the  Cathari  re- 
ceived a  great  accession  of  members  from  the  learned 
labours  and  godly  zeal  of  Peter  Waldo.  They  were  pe- 
culiarly numerous  in  the  valleys  of  Piedmont.  Hence 
the  name  Vaudois  or  Yallenses  was  given  to  them,  par- 
ticularly to  those  who  inhabited  the  valleys  of  Lucerne 
and  Angrogne.  A  mistake  arose  from  similarity  of 
names,  that  Peter  Valdo  or  Waldo,  was  the  first  founder 
of  these  churches.  For  the  name  Vallenses  being  easily 
changed  into  Waldenses,  the  Romanists  improved  this 
very  easy  and  natural  mistake  into  an  argument  against 
the  antiquity  of  these  churches,  and  denied  that  they 
had  any  existence  till  the  appearance  of  Waldo.  During 
the  altercations  of  the  papists  and  Protestants,  it  was  of 
some  consequence  that  this  matter  should  be  rightly 
stated;  because  the  former  denied  that  the  doctrines  of 
the  latter  had  any  existence  till  the  days  of  Luther.  But 
from  a  just  account  of  the  subject,  it  appeared  that  the 
real  Protestant  doctrines  existed  during  the  dark  ages  of 
the  church,  even  long  before  Waldo's  time;  the  proper 
founder  of  them  being  Claudius  of  Turin,  the  Christian 
hero  of  the  ninth  century. 

About  the  year  11  GO,  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation, 
which,  some  time  afterwards,  Innocent  III.  confirmed  in 
a  very  solemn  manner,  was  required  by  the  court  of  Rome 
to  be  acknowledged  by  all  men.  A  very  pernicious  prac- 
tice of  idolatry  was  connected  with  the  reception  of  this 
doctrine.     Men  fell  down  before  the  consecrated  host. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRISTr^  49 

and  worshipped  it  as  God:  and  the  novehy,  absurdity, 
and  impiety  of  this  abomination  very  much  struck  the 
minds  of  all  men,  who  were  not  dead  to  a  sense  of  true 
religion.  At  this  time  Peter  Waldo,  a  citizen  of  Lyons, 
appeared  very  courageous  in  opposing  the  innovation. 

A  providential  event  had  given  the  first  occasion  to  this 
reformer's  concern  for  religion.  Being  assembled  with 
some  of  his  friends,  and  after  supper  conversing  and  re- 
freshing himself  among  them,  one  of  tiie  company  fell 
down  dead  on  the  ground,  to  the  amazement  of  all  that 
were  present.  From  that  moment  it  pleased  God  that 
Waldo  should  commence  a  serious  inquirer  after  divine 
truth.  This  peison  was  an  opulent  merchant  of  Lyons, 
and  as  his  concern  of  mind  increased,  and  a  door  of  use- 
fulness to  the  souls  of  men  was  more  and  more  set  open 
before  him,  he  abandoned  his  mercantile  occupation,  dis- 
tributed his  wealth  to  the  poor,  and  exhorted  his  neigh- 
bours to  seek  the  bread  of  life.  The  poor,  who  flocked 
to  him,  that  they  might  partake  of  his  alms,  received  from 
him  the  best  instructions  which  he  was  capable  of  com- 
municating; and  they  reverenced  the  man,  to  whose 
liberality  they  were  so  much  obliged,  while  the  great  and 
the  rich  both  hated  and  despised  him. 

Waldo  himself,  however,  that  he  might  teach  others 
effectually,  needed  himself  to  be  taught;  and  where  was 
instruction  to  be  found .^  Men  at  that  day  might  run 
here  and  there  for  meat,  and  not  be  satisfied.  In  some 
convents,  among  the  many  who  substituted  formality  for 
power,  there  were  particular  persons  who  "held  the 
Head,"  and  drew  holy  nourishment  from  him.  But  a 
secular  man,  like  Waldo,  would  not  easily  find  them  out, 
and  were  he  to  have  met  with  some  of  them,  their  pre- 
judiced attachment  to  the  see  of  Rome  would  either  have 

Vol.  II.  n 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap,  1. 

prevented  them  from  imparting  to  him  the  food  which 
was  necessary  for  his  soul,  or  have  led  him  into  a  course 
of  life,  by  which  he  would,  after  their  example,  have 
buried  his  talent  in  a  napkin.  The  conduct  of  Bernard, 
one  of  the  most  eminent  and  best  of  them,  too  plainly 
shows  that  one  of  these  two  things  would  have  been  the 
case.  But  Bernard  was  gone  to  his  rest  not  long  before 
this  time,  and  seems  not  to  have  left  any  monastic  brother 
behind  him  at  all  to  be  compared  with  himself  Divine 
Providence  reserved  better  things  for  Waldo:  darkened 
and  distressed  in  mind  and  conscience,  he  knew  that  the 
Scriptures  were  given  as  infaUible  guides,  and  he  thirsted 
for  those  sources  of  instruction,  which  at  that  time  were 
in  a  great  measure  a  sealed  book  in  the  Christian  world. 
To  men  who  understood  the  Latin  tongue,  they  were 
accessible.  But  how  few  were  these,  compared  with  the 
bulk  of  mankind!  The  Latin  Vulgate  Bible  was  the 
only  edition  of  the  sacred  book  at  that  time  in  Europe; 
and  the  languages  then  in  common  use,  the  French  and 
others,  however  mixed  with  the  Latin,  were,  properly 
speaking,  by  this  time  separate  and  distinct  from  it.  It 
is  a  certain  mark  of  the  general  negligence  of  the  clergy 
in  those  ages,  that  no  provision  was  made  for  the  igno- 
rant in  this  respect,  though  I  do  not  find,  that  there  ex- 
isted any  penal  law  to  forbid  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures 
in  the  vulgar  tongue.  It  is  certain  that  Waldo  found 
means  to  diffuse  the  precious  gift  of  the  Scriptures  among 
the  people. 

Whether  Waldo  himself  entirely  performed  the  work, 
or  encouraged  others  to  do  it,  or  what  is  most  probable, 
executed  it  himself  with  the  assistance  of  others,  it  is 
certain,  that  the  Christian  world  in  the  west  was  indebted 
to  him  for  the  first  translation  of  the  Bible  into  a  modern 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  51 

tongue,  since  the  time  that  the  Latin  had  ceased  to  be  a 
living  language. 

As  Waldo  grew  more  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures 
he  discovered,  that  tlie  general  practice  of  nominal  Chris- 
tians was  totally  abhorrent  from  the  doctrines  of  the  New 
Testament:  and  in  particular,  that  a  number  of  customs, 
which  all  the  world  regarded  with  reverence,  had  not 
only  no  foundation  in  the  divine  oracles,  but  were  even 
condemned  by  them.  Inflamed  with  equal  zeal  and 
charity,  he  boldly  condemned  the  reigning  vices,  and  the 
arrogance  of  the  pope.  He  did  more:  as  he  himself 
grew  in  the  knowledge  of  the  true  faith  and  love  of 
Christ,  he  taught  his  neighbours  the  principles  of  practi- 
cal godliness,  and  encouraged  them  to  seek  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ. 

John  De  Beles  Mayons,  the  archbishop  of  Lyons,  could 
not  but  be  sensible  of  the  tendency  of  these  proceedings, 
and  being  jealous  of  the  honour  of  the  corrupt  system,  of 
which  he  was  a  distinguished  member,  he  forbad  the 
new  reformer  to  teach  any  more,  on  pain  of  excommu- 
nication, and  of  being  proceeded  against  as  an  heretic. 
Waldo  replied,  that  though  he  was  a  layman,  yet  he  could 
not  be  silent  in  a  matter  which  concerned  the  salvation 
of  men.  On  this  reply,  the  archbishop  endeavoured  to 
apprehend  him.  But  such  was  the  power  of  his  friends, 
he  lived  concealed  at  Lyons  for  the  space  of  three  years. 

Among  other  scriptural  discoveries,  the  evils  of  the 
popedom  struck  the  mind  of  Waldo;  and  Pope  Alexan- 
der III.  having  heard  of  his  proceedings,  anathematized 
the  reformer  and  his  adherents,  and  commanded  the 
archbishop  to  proceed  against  them  with  the  utmost 
rigour. 

Waldo  could  no  longer  remain  in  Lyons.   He  escaped; 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

his  disciples  followed  him;  and  hence  a  dispersion  took 
place,  similar  to  that  which  arose  in  the  primitive  church 
on  occasion  of  the  persecution  of  Stephen.  The  effects 
were  also  similar:  the  doctrine  of  Waldo  was  hence 
more  widely  disseminated  through  Europe.  He  himself 
retired  into  Dauphiny,  where  his  tenets  took  a  deep  and 
lasting  root.  Some  of  his  people  did  probably  join  them- 
selves to  the  Vaudois  of  Piedmont,  and  the  new  transla- 
tion of  the  Bible,  was,  doubtless,  a  rich  accession  to  the 
spiritual  treasures  of  that  people.  Waldo  himself,  how- 
ever, seems  never  to  have  been  among  them.  Persecuted 
from  place  to  place,  he  retired  into  Picardy.  Success 
still  attended  his  labours,  and  the  doctrines  which  he 
preached  appear  to  have  so  harmonized  with  those  of  the 
Vaudois,  that  with  reason  they  and  his  people  were 
henceforward  considered  as  the  same. 

Philip  Augustus  of  France  took  up  arms  against  the 
Waldenses  of  Picardy,  pulled  down  three  hundred  houses 
of  the  gentlemen  who  supported  their  party,  destroyed 
some  walled  towns,  and  drove  the  inhabitants  into  Flan- 
ders. Not  content  with  this,  he  pursued  them  thither, 
and  caused  many  of  them  to  be  burned. 

From  the  account  of  a  very  authentic  French  histo- 
rian,* it  appears,  that  Waldo  fled  into  Germany,  and  at 
last  settled  in  Bohemia.  There  he  ended  his  days  in  the 
year  1179,  or  before  that  time.  It  is  evident,  from  good 
records,  that  the  churches  of  Dauphiny  corresponded 
with  those  of  Bohemia,  and  that  these  last  were,  on  some 
occasions  at  least,  supplied  with  pastors  from  Piedmont. 
These  things  show  the  mutual  connexion  of  the  Walden- 
sian  churches,  and  prove  the  superior  antiquity  of  those 

*  Thuan.  Hist  sui  temp.  457. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  53 

of  the  valleys,  the  severity  of  the  persecution,  and  the 
important  services  of  Peter  Waldo. 

The  Waldenses  vi'ere  treated  with  as  great  contumely 
by  papal  as  the  primitive  Christians  u^ere  by  heathen 
Rome.  Poor  men  of  Lyons,  and  dogs,  were  the  usual 
terms  of  derision.  In  Provence  they  were  called  cut- 
purses:  in  Italy,  because  they  observed  not  the  appointed 
festivals,  and  rested  from  their  ordinary  occupations  only 
on  Sundays,  they- were  called  Insabathas;  that  is,  regard- 
less of  Sabbaths.  In  Germany,  they  were  called  Gazares, 
a  term  expressive  of  every  thing  flagitiously  wicked.  In 
Flanders  they  were  denominated  Turlupins,  that  is,  in- 
habitants with  wolves,  because  they  were  often  obliged 
to  dwell  in  woods  and  deserts:  and  because  they  denied 
the  consecrated  Host  to  be  God,  they  were  accused  of 
Arianism,  as  if  they  had  denied  the  divinity  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  was  not  possible  for  these  poor  sufferers  to 
speak  a  word  in  defence  or  explanation  of  their  doctrines, 
but  malice,  which  discolours  every  thing,  was  sure  to 
misrepresent  it.  If  they  maintained  the  independency  of 
the  temporal  powers  on  the  ecclesiastical,  a  doctrine  now 
believed  almost  universally  in  Europe,  they  were  called 
Manichees,  as  if  they  favoured  the  notion  of  two  princi- 
ples. The  old  odious  name  of  Gnostic  also  was  revived, 
with  every  other  term  of  ancient  or  modern  opprobrium, 
which  might  infix  a  stigma  on  the  character  of  the  suf- 
ferers, and  seem  to  justify  the  barbarity  with  which  they 
were  treated. 

Another  charge  brought  against  them  was,  that  they 
denied  baptism  to  infants.  In  answer  to  this,  in  their 
spiritual  almanac,  they  say,  "  neither  the  time  nor  the 
place  is  appointed  for  those  who  must  be  baptized.  But 
we  do  bring  our  children  to  be  baptized;  which  they 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

ought  to  do,  to  whom  they  are  nearest  related;  their 
parents,  or  those  whom  God  hath  inspired  with  such 
charity/'  If  this  be  tlie  case, — and  the  evidence  of  their 
own  books  appears  to  be  unanswerable, — it  seems  im- 
proper to  look  on  the  Waldenses  as  averse  to  infant  bap- 
tism. Yet,  that  some  of  them  were  regarded  as  professed 
enemies  to  the  baptism  of  infants,  is  affirmed  on  respectable 
authority,*  and  it  possibly  might  be  the  case  with  a  few 
of  them.  The  greater  part  of  them  are,  however,  vindi- 
cated in  this  respect  by  an  authority  from  which  Hes  no 
appeal,  their  own  authentic  writings.  However,  having 
been  for  some  hundreds  of  years  constrained  to  suffer 
their  children  to  be  baptized  by  the  Romish  priests,  they 
were  under  frequent  temptations  to  defer  it,  on  account 
of  the  superstitious  inventions  annexed  to  that  holy  ordi- 
nance in  those  times:  and  very  frequently  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  their  own  pastors,  whom  they  called 
Barbs,  who  were  travelling  abroad  for  the  service  of  the 
churches,  they  could  not  have  baptism  administered  to 
their  children  by  their  ministry.  The  delay  occasioned 
by  these  things  exposed  them  to  the  reproach  of  their 
adversaries.  And  though  many,  who  approved  of  them 
in  all  other  respects,  gave  credit  to  the  accusation,  I  can- 
not find  any  satisfactory  proof,  that  they  were,  in  judg- 
ment, antipsedo-baptists  strictly.  And  it  is  very  probable 
that  some  of  the  supposed  heretics,  who  have  been  men- 
tioned above,!  delayed  the  baptism  of  their  children  on 
the  same  account;  because  similar  circumstances  would 
naturally  be  attended  with  similar  effects.  On  the  whole, 
a  few  instances  excepted,  the  existence  of  antipaedo- 
baptism  seems  scarcely  to  have  taken  place  in  the  church 

*  Cent.  Magd.  xii.  833.  f  See  Milner,  vol.  3,  p.  259. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  55 

of  Christ,  till  a  little  after  the  beginning  of  the  reforma- 
tion, when  a  sect  arose,  whom  historians  commonly  call 
the  anabaptists.  I  lay  no  great  stress  on  this  subject; 
for  the  Waldenses  might  have  been  a  faithful,  humble, 
and  spiritual  people,  as  I  believe  they  were,  if  they  had 
differed  from  the  general  body  of  Christians  on  this  arti- 
cle. But  when  I  find  persons  accused  as  enemies  to 
infant  baptism  who  were  not  so,  it  seemed  to  be  a  part 
of  historical  veracity  to  represent  things  as  they  really 
were. 

One  charge  more  against  them  is,  that  they  compelled 
their  pastors  to  follow  some  trade.  How  satisfactory 
their  answer!  "  We  do  not  think  it  necessary  that  our 
pastors  should  work  for  bread.  They  might  be  better 
qualified  to  instruct  us,  if  we  could  maintain  them  with- 
out their  own  labour;  but  our  poverty  has  no  remedy." 
So  they  speak  in  letters  published  in  1508.* 

We  have  hitherto  rather  rescued  their  character  from 
infamy  than  delineated  its  real  nature.  They  appear,  on 
the  whole,  to  have  been  most  unjustly  aspersed;  and  the 
reader  will  be  enabled  to  form  some  idea  of  their  piety 
and  probity,  from  the  following  testimonies  of  their  ene- 
mies: 

A  pontifical  inquisitorf  says, "  heretics  are  known  by  their 
manners.  In  behaviour  they  are  composed  and  modest, 
and  no  pride  appears  in  their  apparel.^'  Seysillius  says, 
it  much  strengthens  the  Waldenses,  that,  their  heresy 
excepted,  they  generally  live  a  purer  life  than  other 
Christians.  They  never  swear  but  by  compulsion,  and 
seldom  take  the  name  of  God  in  vain:  they  fulfil  their 
promises  with  good  faith;  and,  living  for  the  most  part 
in  poverty,  they  profess  that  they  at  once  preserve  the 

*  Usher  de  Christ.  Eccl.  sncc.  &  statu.  M 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

apostolical  life  and  doctrine.  Lielenstenius,  a  Dominican, 
speaking  of  the  Waldenses  of  Bohemia,  says,  "  1  say  that 
in  morals  and  life  they  are  good;  true  in  words,  and 
unanimous  in  brotlierly  love;  but  their  faith  is  incorrigi- 
ble and  vile,  as  I  have  shown  in  my  treatise." 

It  is  remarkable  that  Thomas  Walden,  who  wrote 
against  Wickliff,  says,  that  the  doctrine  of  Waldo  was 
conveyed  from  France  into  England.  It  may  not,  per- 
haps, be  thought  improbable,  that  the  English,  being 
masters  of  Guienne  for  a  longtime,  should  have  received 
some  beams  of  divine  truth  from  the  followers  of  Waldo. 
By  the  general  confession  of  the  Romanists,  indeed,  the 
Protestants  and  the  W^aldenses  were  looked  on  as  holding 
the  same  principles. 

The  churches  of  Piedmont,  however,  on  account  of 
their  superior  antiquity,  were  regarded  as  guides  of  the 
rest;  insomuch,  that  when  two  pastors,  who  had  been 
sent  by  them  into  Boheniia,  acted  with  perfidy,  and  oc- 
casioned a  grievous  persecution,  still  the  Bohemians 
ceased  not  to  desire  pastors  from  Piedmont;  only  they 
requested,  that  none  but  persons  of  tried  characters  might 
be  sent  to  them  for  the  future. 

I  can  only  give  the  general  outlines:  if  the  finer  and 
more  numerous  lines  of  this  scene  could  be  circumstan- 
tially drawn,  a  spectacle  more  glorious  could  scarcely  be 
exhibited  to  the  reader.  From  the  borders  of  Spain, 
throughout  the  South  of  France,  for  the  most  part,  among 
and  below  the  Alps,  along  the  Rhine,  on  both  sides  of 
its  course,  and  even  to  Bohemia,  thousands  of  godly  souls 
were  seen  patiently  to  bear  persecution  for  the  sake  of 
Christ,  against  whom  malice  could  say  no  evil,  but  what 
admits  the  most  satisfactory  refutation:  men  distinguished 
for  every  virtue,  and  only  hated  because  of  godliness 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  57 

itself.  Persecutors  with  a  sigh  owned,  that,  because  of 
their  virtue,  they  were  the  most  dangerous  enemies  of 
the  church.  But  of  what  church.  Of  that,  which  in 
the  thirteenth  century  and  long  before  had  evinced  itself 
to  be  antichristian.  Here  were  not  an  individual  or  two, 
like  Bernard,  but  very  many  real  Christians,  who  held 
the  real  doctrines  of  Scripture,  and  carefully  abstained 
from  all  the  idolatry  of  the  times.  How  obdurate  is  the 
heart  of  man  by  nature!  Men  could  see  and  own  the  su- 
perior excellence  of  these  persons,  and  yet  could  bar- 
barously persecute  them!  What  a  blessed  light  is  that 
of  Scripture!  By  that  the  Waldenses  saw  the  road  to 
heaven,  of  which  the  wisest  of  their  contemporaries  were 
ignorant,  who,  though  called  Christians,  made  no  use  of 
the  oracles  of  God!  How  marvellous  are  the  ways  of 
God!  How  faithful  his  promise  in  supporting  and  main- 
taining a  church  even  in  the  darkest  times!  But  her 
livery  is  often  sackcloth,  and  her  external  bread  is  that 
of  affliction,  while  she  sojourns  on  earth.  But  let  no 
factious  partizan  encourage  himself  in  sedition  by  looking 
at  the  Waldenses.  We  have  seen  how  obedient  they 
were  to  establish  governments;  and  that  separation  from 
a  church,  so  corrupt  as  that  of  Rome,  was  with  them 
only  matter  of  necessity.  The  best  and  wisest  in  all 
ages  have  acted  in  the  same  manner,  and  have  dreaded 
the  evils  of  schism  more  than  those  of  a  defect  in  disci- 
pline. We  shall  now  see  what  the  Waldenses  were  in 
point  of  doctrine  and  discipline:  for  their  virtues  had  an 
evangelical  principle,  and  it  is  only  to  be  regretted  that 
the  accounts  are  so  very  scanty  on  a  subject  worthy  the 
attention  of  all  who  desire  to  understand  the  loving  kind- 
ness of  the  Lord. 

The  leading  principle  of  this  church,  which  God  raised 

Vol.  IL  H 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  1. 

up  ill  the  dark  ages  to  bear  witness  to  his  gospel,  is  that, 
in  which  all  the  Protestiint  churches  agreed,  namely, 
"  that  w^e  ought  to  believe  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  alone 
contain  all  things  necessary  to  our  salvation,  and  that 
nothing  ought  to  be  received  as  an  article  of  faith  but 
what  God  had  revealed  to  us."*  Wherever  this  principle 
is  not  only  assented  to  in  form,  but  also  received  with  the 
heart,  it  expels  superstition  and  idolatry.  The  worship 
of  one  God,  through  the  one  Mediator,  and  by  the  in- 
fluence of  one  Holy  Spirit,  is  practised  sincerely.  For 
the  dreams  of  purgatory,  the  intercession  of  saints,  the 
adoration  of  images,  dependance  on  relics  and  austerities, 
cannot  stand  before  the  doctrine  of  Scripture.  Salvation 
by  grace,  through  faith  in  Christ  alone,  as  it  is  the  pecu- 
liar truth  and  glory  of  the  Scriptures,  so  it  is  the  boast 
and  joy  of  the  Christian,  who  knows  himself  to  be  that 
guilty  polluted  creature  which  the  same  Scriptures  de- 
scribe. How  abominable  to  such  a  one  is  the  doctrine 
of  indulgencies,  and  of  commutation  for  offences,  and 
the  whole  structure  of  the  papal  domination!  The  true 
love  of  God  and  of  our  neighbour,  even  the  true  holiness, 
which  is  the  great  end  and  aim  of  Christ's  redemption, 
must  be  subverted  by  these  human  inventions.  The 
Waldenses  were  faithful  to  the  great  fundamental  princi- 
ple of  Protestantism.  Enough  appears  on  record  to  prove, 
that  they  were  formed  by  the  grace  of  God  to  show  forth 
his  praise  in  the  world;  and  great  as  the  resemblance 
appears  between  them  and  the  reformed,  if  we  had  as 
many  writings  of  the  former,  as  we  have  of  the  latter,  the 
resemblance  in  all  probability  would  appear  still  more 
striking. 

*  Vignaux  in  his  Memorials  of  tlie  Waldenses.     See  this  principle  expressed 
in  a  similar  manner  in  the  sixth  article  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  59 

"They*  affirm,  that  there  is  only  one  Mediator,  and 
therefore  that  we  must  not  invocate  the  saints." 

"  That  there  is  no  purs^atory;  but  that  all  those  who 
are  justified  by  Christ  go  into  life  eternal." 

"  They  receive  two  sacraments.  Baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper.  They  affirm  that  all  masses  are  damnable, 
especially  those  which  are  repeated  for  the  dead,  and 
that  therefore  they  ought  to  be  abolished;  to  which  they 
add  the  rejection  of  numberless  ceremonies.  They  deny 
the  supremacy  of  the  pope,  especially  the  power  which 
he  hath  usurped  over  the  civil  government;  and  they  ad- 
mit no  other  degrees,  except  those  of  bishops,  priests  and 
deacons.  They  condemn  the  popedom  as  the  true 
Babylon,  allow  the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  and  detine  the 
true  church  to  be  those  who  hear  and  understand  the 
word  of  God." 

They  appear  to  have  had  all  the  ess'entials  of  church 
discipline  among  them;  and  their  circumstances  of  dis- 
tress, of  poverty,  and  of  persecution,  however  disagree- 
able to  flesh  and  blood,  favoured  that  spirit  of  submission 
and  subordination,  which  ever  promotes  a  salutary  exer- 
cise of  discipline;  through  the  want  of  which,  among 
ourselves,  church  rules  are  too  commonly  treated  as  in- 
significant A  state  of  refinement,  of  wealth,  of  luxury, 
and  of  political  speculation,  was  unknown  to  the  Wal- 
denses:  how  subversive  such  a  state  is  of  the  most  whole- 
some ecclesiastical  authority,  the  experience  of  our  own 
age  demonstrates. 

In  a  book  concerning  their  pastors  we  have  this  ac- 
count of  their  vocation: 

"  All,  who  are  to  be  ordained  as  pastors  among  us, 
while  they  are  yet  at  home,  entreat  us  to  receive  them 

*  Vignaux. 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChaiJ.  1. 

into  the  ministry,  and  desire  that  we  would  pray  to  God, 
that  they  may  be  rendered  capable  of  so  great  a  charge. 
They  are  to  learn  by  heart  all  the  chapters  of  St.  Mat- 
thew and  St.  John,  all  the  canonical  epistles,  and  a  good 
part  of  the  writings  orSoloinon,  David,  and  the  prophets. 
Afterwards,  having  exhibited. proper  testimonials  of  their 
learning  and  conversation,  they  are  admitted  as  pastors 
by  the  imposition  of  hands.     The  junior  pastors  must  do 
nothing  without  the  license  of  their  seniors;  nor  are  the 
seniors  to  undertake  any  thing  without  the  approbation 
of  their  colleagues,  that  every  thing  may  be  done  among 
us  in  order.     We  pastors  meet  together  once  every  year, 
to  settle  our  affairs  in  a  general  synod.     Those  whom 
we  teach  afford  us  food  and  raiment  with  good  will,  and 
without  compulsion.     The  money  given  us  by  the  people 
is  carried  to  the  said  general  synod,  is  there  received  by 
the  elders,  and  applied  partly  to  the  supply  of  travellers, 
and  partly  to  the  relief  of  the  indigent.     If  a  pastor 
among  us  shall  fall  into  a  gross  sin,  he  is  ejected  from 
the   community,   and   debarred   from   the    function    of 
preaching." 

They  unquestionably  received  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and 
that  commonly  ascribed  to  Athanasius  They  acknow- 
ledged the  same  canon  of  Scripture,  which  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  church  does  in  her  sixth  article;  and,  what  is 
very  remarkable,  they  give  the  same  account  of  the  Apo- 
cryphal books,  accompanied  with  the  same  remark  of 
Jerom,  which  the  reader  will  find  in  the  same  sixth  arti- 
cle. They  say,  "  these  books  teach  us,  that  there  is  one 
God,  almighty,  wise  and  good,  who  in  his  goodness  made 
all  things.  He  created  Adam  after  his  own  image.  But 
through  the  malice  of  the  devil,  and  the  disobedience  of 
Adam,  sin  entered  into  the  world,  and  we  became  sin- 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  61 

ners  in  and  by  Adam.  That  Christ  is  our  life  and  truth, 
and  peace,  and  righteousness,  our  shepherd  and  advocate, 
our  sacrifice  and  priest,  wiio  died  for  the  salvation  of  all 
who  should  believe,  and  also  rose  again  for  our  justifica- 
tion " 

The  confession  of  the  Bohemian  Waldenses,  published 
in  the  former  part  of  the  sixteenth  century,  is  very  ex- 
plicit on  these  articles.  They  say,  that  men  ought  to 
acknowledge  themselves  born  in  sin,  and  to  be  burdened 
with  the  weight  of  sin;  that  they  ought  to  acknowledge, 
that  for  this  depravity,  and  for  the  sins  springing  up  from 
this  root  of  bitterness,  utter  perdition  deservedly  hangs 
over  their  heads,  and  that  all  should  own  that  they  can 
no  way  justify  themselves  by  any  works  or  endeavours, 
nor  have  any  thing  to  trust  to  but  Christ  alone.  They 
hold,  that  by  faith  in  Christ,  men  are,  through  mercy, 
freely  justified,  and  attain  salvation  by  Christ,  without 
human  help  or  merit.  They  hold,  that  all  confidence  is 
to  be  fixed  in  him  alone,  and  all  our  care  to  be  cast  upon 
him;  and,  that  for  his  sake  only  God  is  pacified,  and 
adopts  us  to  be  his  children.  They  teach  also,  that  no 
man  can  have  this  faith  by  his  own  power,  will,  or  plea- 
sure; that  it  is  the  gift  of  God,  who,  where  it  pleaseth 
him,  worketh  it  in  man  by  his  Spirit.*  They  teach  also 
the  doctrine  of  good  works  as  fruits  and  evidences  of  a 
lively  faith. 

The  Waldenses  in  general  express  their  firm  belief, 
that  there  is  no  other  Mediator  than  Jesus  Christ:  they 
speak  with  great  respect  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  as  holy, 
humble,  and  full  of  grace;  at  the  same  time  that  they 
totally  discountenance  that  senseless  and  extravagant  ad- 
miration, in  which  she  had  been  held  for  ages.     They 

*  Moreland,  p.  48. 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  [Chap.  1. 

assert,  that  all,  who  have  been  and  shall  be  saved,  have 
been  elected  of  God  before  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

It  deserves  to  be  noticed,  that  in  their  exposition  of 
the  Apostles'  Creed,  the  Waldensian  reformers  give  us 
the  well  known  text  in  1  John  v.  7,  as  a  proof  of  the 
doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  They  were,  it  seems,  perfectly 
satisfied  of  its  authenticity,  and,  most  probably  at  that 
time  had  never  heard  of  any  suggestions  to  the  contrary. 

"  The  Son  of  God,  by  the  commandment  of  God  the 
Father,  and  by  his  own  free  will,  was  lifted  up  upon  the 
altar  of  the  cross,  and  was  crucified,  and  hath  redeemed 
mankind  with  his  own  blood;  which  work  being  accom- 
plished, he  arose  from  the  dead  the  third  day,  having  dif- 
fused through  the  world  a  light  everlasting,  like  a  new 
sun;  that  is,  tlie  gloVy  of  the  resurrection,  and  of  a 
heavenly  inheritance,  which  the  Son  of  God  hath  pro- 
mised to  give  to  all  those  who  serve  him  in  faith." 

On  the  Lord's  Prayer,  in  a  very  sensible  introduction, 
they  observe,  that  "  God,  who  seeth  the  secrets  of  our 
hearts,  is  more  moved  by  a  deep  groan  or  sigh,  with 
complaints  and  tears  which  come  from  the  heart,  than  by 
a  thousand  words." 

There  is  among  the  records  of  this  people  a  very  an- 
cient confession  of  sin,  which  was  commonly  used,  and 
which  shows  that  they  taught  every  person  to  apply  to 
himself  that  hideous  picture  of  human  depravity  which 
St.  Paul  delineates,*  "  that  every  mouth  may  be  stopped, 
and  all  the  world  become  guilty  before  God."  Hear 
how  they  speak,  "excuse  myself  I  cannot;  for  thou,  0 
Lord,  hast  showed  me  both  what  is  good  and  evil.  I 
have  understood  thy  power;  I  have  not  been  ignorant  of 
thy  wisdom;  I  have  known  thy  justice;  and  have  tasted 

*  Horn.  iii.  10—20. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  63 

of  thy  goodness.  Yet  all  the  evil  which  I  do  proceeds 
from  my  own  depravity.  I  have  committed  many  evils 
from  tlie  beginning  of  my  life;  covetousness  is  rooted  in 
my  heart;  1  love  riches,  I  se)^k  after  applause,  and  bear 
little  love  to  those  who  have  obliged  me  by  their  kind- 
ness. If  thou  do  not  pardon  me,  my  soul  must  go  down 
to  perdition.  Anger  likewise  reigns  in  my  heart,  and 
envy  gnaws  me;  for  I  am  naturally  without  charity.  I 
am  slow  to  do  good,  but  industrious  to  do  evil.  I  have 
blinded  myself,  and  have  had  many  evil  thoughts  against 
thee.  I  have  cast  mine  eyes  on  vain  delights,  and  have 
seldom  lifted  them  up  to  thy  face.  I  have  lent  an  ear  to 
empty  sounds,  and  to  many  evil  speakings;  but  to  hear 
and  understand  thy  laws  hath  been  grievous  and  irksome 
to  me.  I  have  taken  more  pleasure  in  the  noisome  sink 
of  sin,  than  in  divine  sweetness;  I  have  even  worshipped 
sin;  I  have  endeavoured  to  conceal  my  own  guilt,  and  to 
lay  it  upon  another.  My  mind  and  body  are  wounded; 
my  heart  hath  been  delighted  with  evil  things;  with  many 
foolish  and  unprofitable  objects.  I  have  turned  aside  into 
by-paths,  and,  by  my  levity,  have  given  an  ill  example  to 
others.  I  have  slandered  my  neighbour,  and  have  loved 
him  only  because  of  my  ten)poral  interest.^^ 

There  is  not,  in  any  age,  a  truly  humble  and  serious 
Christian,  who  will  not  acknowledge  himself  guilty  in  all 
these  respects  before  God,  even  though  his  conduct  has, 
comparatively  speaking,  been  blameless  before  men.  It 
is  the  want  of  self-knowledge  which  keeps  men  ignorant 
of  their  ill  desert  before  God;  and,  in  truth,  nothing  is 
so  much  unknown  to  men  in  general  as  the  propensity  of 
their  own  hearts.  This  knowledge,  however,  was  found 
among  the  Waldenses;  and  hence  they  were  a  humble 
people,  prepared  to  receive  the  gospel  of  Christ  from  the 


C4.  HISTORY  OF  THE  [_Cliap.  1. 

heart,  to  walk  in  his  steps,  to  carry  his  cross,  and  to  fear 
sin  above  all  other  evils. 

Hear  what  a  character  an  ancient  inquisitor  gives  of 
this  people:  "  The  heretics*are  known  by  their  manners 
and  words;  for  they  are  orderly  and  modest  in  their  man- 
ners and  behaviour.  They  avoid  all  appearance  of  pride 
in  their  dress,  they  neither  wear  rich  clothes,  nor  are 
they  too  mean  and  ragged  in  their  attire.  They  avoid 
commerce,  that  they  may  be  free  from  falsehood  and  de- 
ceit: they  live  by  manual  industry,  as  day-labourers  or 
mechanics;  and  their  preachers  are  weavers  and  tailors. 
They  seek  not  to  amass  wealth,  but  are  content  with  the 
necessaries  of  life.  They  are  chaste,  temperate,  and 
sober;  they  abstain  from  anger.  They  hypocritically  go 
to  tlie  church,  confess,  communicate,  and  hear  sermons, 
to  catch  the  preacher  in  his  words.  Their  women  are 
modest,  avoid  slander,  foolish  jesting,  and  levity  of  words, 
especially  falsehood  and  oaths."* 

Their  directions  to  pastors  in  visiting  the  sick  are  full 
of  evangelical  simplicity.  The  afflicted  person  is  exhort- 
ed to  look  to  Christ  as  the  great  pattern  of  patient  suf- 
ferers, "  who  is  the  true  Son  of  God,  and  yet  hath  been 
more  afflicted  than  we  all,  and  more  tormented  than  any 
other.— Let  the  sick  man  consider  with  himself,  that  he 
is  grievously  afflicted  as  his  Saviour  was,  when  he  suffer- 
ed for  us;  for  which  thanks  should  be  returned  to  God, 
because  it  hath  pleased  him  to  give  this  good  Saviour  to 
death  for  us,  and  at  the  same  time  mercy  should  be  im- 
plored at  his  hands  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  And  we 
Christians  ought  to  have  a  perfect  confidence  and  as- 
surance, that  our  Father  will  forgive  us  for  his  goodness 
sake.     Let  the  sick  person  commit  himself  wholly  to  the 

*  Allix,  p.  235.  * 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  65 

Lord.  Let  him  do  to  his  neighbour,  as  he  would  have 
his  neighbour  do  to  him,  making  such  arrangements 
among  liis  relations,  that  he  may  leave  them  in  peace, 
and  that  there  may  be  no  suits  or  contentions  after  his 
death.  Let  him  hope  for  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
not  in  any  other,  or  by  any  other  thing,  acknowledging 
himself  a  miserable  sinner,  that  he  may  ask  mercy  of 
God,  finding  himself  in  such  a  njanner  culpable,  that  of 
himself  he  deseryeth  eternal  death.  If  the  pastor  find 
the  sick  person  alarmed  and  terrified  with  the  sense  of 
the  divine  displeasure  against  sinners,  let  him  remind  the 
distressed  soul  of  those  comfortable  promises  which  our 
Saviour  hath  made  to  all  those,  who  come  to  him,  and 
who  from  the  bottom  of  their  heart,  call  upon  him;  and 
how  God  the  Father  hath  promised  forgiveness,  whenso- 
ever we  shall  ask  it  in  the  name  of  his  Son.  These  are 
the  things,  in  which  the  true  preacher  of  the  Word  ought 
faithfully  to  employ  himself,  that  he  may  conduct  the 
party  visited  to  his  Saviour." 

"  And  whereas,  in  former  times,  it  hath  been  the  cus- 
tom to  cause  the  disconsolate  widow  to  spend  much 
money  on  singers  and  ringers,  and  on  persons  who  eat 
and  drink,  while  she  weeps  and  fasts,  wronging  her 
fatherless  children;  it  is  our  duty,  from  motives  of  com- 
passion, to  the  end  that  one  loss  be  not  added  to  another, 
to  aid  them  with  our  counsel  and  our  goods,  according 
to  the  ability  which  God  hath  bestowed  on  us,  taking 
care  that  the  children  be  well  instructed,  that  they  may 
laboifr  to  maintain  themselves  as  God  has  ordaijied,  and 
live  like  Christians." 

The  directions,  which  they  gave  to  new  converts,  were, 
to  study  the  epistolary  instructions  of  St.  Paul,  that  ihey 
might  know  how  to  walk  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to 

Vol.  II.  I 


(J6  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/inp.  1. 

give  occasion  of  falling  to  their  neighbours,  and  that  they 
might  not  make  the  house  of  the  Lord  a  den  of  thieves. 

They  were  zealous  in  directing  the  education  of  chil- 
dren. "Despair  not,"  say  they,  "  of  thy  child,  when  he 
is  unwilling  to  receive  correction,  or  if  he  prove  not 
speedily  good;  for  the  labourer  gathereth  not  the  fruits 
of  the  earth,  as  soon  as  the  seed  is  sown,  but  he  waits 
till  the  due  season.  A  man  ought  to  have  a  careful  eye 
over  his  daughters.  Keep  them  within,  and  see  they 
wander  not.  For  Dinah  the  daughter  of  Jacob  was  cor- 
rupted by  seeing  strangers." 

In  ecclesiastical  correction,  they  were  directed  by  our 
Lord's  rule,  in  first  reproving  a  brother  in  private;  se- 
condly, in  the  presence  of  two  or  three  brethren;  and 
last  of  all,  and  not  till  other  methods  failed,  in  proceeding 
to  excommunication.  Private  correction,  they  observe, 
is  sufficient  for  faults  not  made  known  to  many;  but  in 
the  case  of  open  sins,  they  followed  the  apostolical  rule. 
*Them  that  sin,  rebuke  before  all,  that  others  may  fear. 
"  Marriages  are  to  be  made  according  to  the  degrees  of 
kindred  permitted  by  God.  The  pope's  dispensations  are 
of  no  value,  nor  deserve  the  least  regard.  The  band  of 
holy  matrimony  must  not  be  made  without  the  consent  of 
the  parents  of  botli  parties;  for  children  belong  to  their 
parents." 

Against  the  disorders  of  taverns,  and  the  mischiefs  of 
dancing,  they  are  exceedingly  severe.  Remark  one  sen- 
tence; "They,  who  deck  and  adorn  their  daughters,  are 
like  thq^e  who  put  dry  wood  to  the  fire,  to  the  end  that 
it  may  burn  the  better.  A  tavern  is  the  fountain  of  si  n 
and  the  school  of  Satan."  For  conversing  with  those 
that  are  without,  they  give  rules  full  of  Christian  sim- 

»  1  Tim.  V.  20 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  67 

plicity;  and  they  direct  their  people  also  in  Christian 
morals  after  a  style  and  manner  much  superior  to  the 
spirit  and  taste  of  the  thirteenth  century.* 

A  treatise  concerning  antichrist,  dated  in  1120,  before 
the  days  of  Waldo,  was  preserved  by  the  Waldenses  of 
the  Alps;  and  a  brief  summary  of  it  is  as  follows:  "  He 
is  called  antichrist,  because,  being  covered  and  adorned 
under  the  colour  of  Christ  and  his  church,  he  opposes 
the  salvation  purchased  by  Christ,  of  which  the  faithful 
are  partakers  by  faith,  hope,  and  charity.  He  contra- 
dicts the  truth  by  the  wisdom  of  the  world,  and  by  coun- 
terfeit holiness.  To  make  up  a  complete  system  of  re- 
ligious hypocrisy,  all  these  things  must  concur;  there 
must  be  worldly-wise  men,  there  must  be  religious  orders, 
Pharisees,  ministers,  doctors,  the  secular  power,  and 
lovers  of  this  world.  Antichrist,  indeed,  was  conceived 
in  the  apostles^  times,  but  he  was  in  his  infancy,  unform- 
ed and  imperfect.  He  was  therefore  the  more  easily 
known  and  ejected,  being  rude,  raw,  and  wanting  utter- 
ance. He  had  then  no  skill  in  making  decretals,  he 
wanted  hypocritical  ministers,  and  the  show  of  religious 
orders.  He  had  none  of  those  riches,  by  which  he 
might  allure  ministers  to  his  service,  and  multiply  his 
adherents:  he  wanted  also  the  secular  power,  and  could 
not  compel  men  to  serve  him.  But  he  grew  to  a  full 
age,  when  the  lovers  of  the  world,  both  in  church  and 
state,  did  multiply  and  get  all  the  power  into  their  hands: 
Christ  had  never  any  enemy  like  to  this,  so  able  to  per- 
vert the  way  of  truth  into  falsehood,  insomuch  that  the 
church  with  her  true  children  is  trodden  under  foot.  He 
robs  Christ  of  his  merits,  of  justification,  regeneration, 
sanctification,  and  spiritual  nourishment,  and  ascribes  the 

*  Moreland,  p.  86. 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  1. 

same  to  his  own  authority,  to  a  form  of  words,  to  his  own 
works,  to  saints,  and  to  the  fire  of  purgatory.     Yet  he 
has  some  decent  quahlies,  which  throw  a  veil  over   his 
enormities;  such  as  an  external  profession  of  Christianity, 
tradition,  and  catalogues  of  episcopal  s«ccession,  lying 
wonders,  external  sanctity,  and  certain  sayings  of  Christ 
himself,    the   adnnnistration   of  the  sacraments,  verbal 
preaching  against  vices,  and  the  virtuous  lives  of  some 
who  really  live  to  God  in  Babylon,  whom,  however,  anti- 
christ, so  far  as  in  him  lies,  prevents  from  placing  all 
their  hope  in  Christ  alone.     These  things  are  a  cloak, 
with  which  antichrist  hides  his  wickedness,  that  he  may 
not  be  rejected  as  a  pagan.     Knowing  these  things,  we 
depart  from  antichrist,  according  to  express  scriptural 
directions.     We  unite  ourselves  to  the  truth  of  Christ 
and  his  spouse,  how  small  soever  she  appear.     We  de- 
scribe the  causes  of  our  separation  from  antichrist,  that 
if  the  Lord  be  pleased   to  impart  the  knowledge  of  the 
same  truth  to  others,  those,  who  receive  it,  together  with 
us,  may  love  it.     But,  if  they  be  not  sufficiently  enlight- 
ened,  they  may  receive  help  by  our  ministry,  and   be 
washed  by  the  Spirit.     If  any  one  have  received  more 
abundantly  than  we  ourselves,  we  desire  the  more  hum- 
bly to  be  taught,  and  to  amend  our  defects. — A  various 
and  endless  idolatry  marks  the  genius  of  antichrist,  and 
he  teaches  men  by  that  to  seek  for  grace,  which  is  essen- 
tially in  God  alone,  exists  meritoriously  in  Christ,  and  is 
communicated  by  faith  alone  through  the  Holy  Spirit." 
"Christ  is  our  advocate:  he  forgives  sins.     He  presents 
himself  in  some  measure  to  us,  before  we  bestir  ourselves. 
He  knocks,  that  we  may  open  to  hitn:  and,  to  obstruct 
all  occasions  of  idolatry,  he  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father  in  heaven,  and  desires  that  every  faithful  soul 


Cmf.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  69 

should  have  recourse  to  his  Redeemer  alone.  For  all  the 
care  of  the  faithful  should  be  directed  toward  Christ, 
imitating  him  that  is  above.  He  is  the  gate:  whosoever 
entereth  by  him  shall  be  saved.  lie  alone  hath  the  pre- 
rogative to  obtain  whatever  he  requests  in  behalf  of  man- 
kind, whom  he  hath  reconciled  by  his  death.  To  what 
purpose  should  we  address  ourselves  to  any  other  saint 
as  mediator,  seeing  he  himself  is  far  more  charitable  and 
far  more  ready  to  succour  us  than  any  of  them?" 


CHAPTER  H. 

Persecutions, 

In  116S,  two  years  after  Waldo  had  begun  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  Lyons,  Lewis  VH.  of  France,  and  Henry 
H.  of  England,  on  foot,  holding  the  bridle  of  the  horse 
of  Pope  Alexander  VII,  walking  one  on  one  side  of  him, 
the  other  on  the  other,  conducted  him  to. his  habitation; 
exhibiting,  says  Raronius,*  a  spectacle  most  grateful  to 
God,  to  angels,  and  to  men!  The  piinces  of  the  earth, 
as  well  as  the  meanest  persons,  were  now  enslaved  to  the 
popedom,  and  were  easily  led  to  persecute  the  children 
of  God  with  the  most  savage  barbarity. 

In  1 176,  some  of  the  Waldenses,  called  heretics,  being 
examined  by  the  bishops,  were  convicted  of  heresy. 
They  were  said  to  receive  only  the  New  Testament,  and 
to  reject  the  Old,  except  in  the  testimonies  quoted  by 
our  Lord  and  the  apostles.f  This  charge  is  confuted  by 
the  whole  tenor  of  their  authentic  writings,  in  which  they 
quote  the  Old  Testament  authority  as  divine,  without 

*  Baronius,  Annals,  Cent.  xii.  f  Raron.  Cent.  xii. 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

reserve  or  hesitation.  Being  interrogated  concerning 
their  faith,  we  are  told  that  they  said,  "  we  are  not  bound 
to  answer/^ 

In  1178,  the  same  Lewis  and  Henry,  who  had  sixteen 
years  before,  in  so  unkingly  a  manner,  given  their  "  power 
and  strength  to  the  beast,"*  hearing  that  the  Albigenses 
grew  in  numbers,  determined  to  attack  them  by  the 
svi^ord,  but  afterwards  thought  it  more  prudent  to  employ 
preachers.f  They  sent  to  them  several  bishops  and 
ecclesiastics;  and  they  employed  Raymond  of  Toulouse 
and  other  noblemen  to  expel  the  refractory.  The  com- 
missioners arriving  at  Toulouse,  exacted,  by  an  oath,  of 
the  Catholics  there,  that  they  should  give  information  of 
the  heretics  whom  they  knew.  Great  numbers  were 
hence  discovered.  Among  these  was  a  rich  old  man 
called  Peter  Moraniis,  who  had  pretended  to  be  John 
the  Evangelist.J  This  person,  denying  the  bread  to  be 
the  body  of  Christ,  was  condemned:  his  goods  were  con- 
fiscated: his  castles,  the  conventicles  of  heretics,  were 
thrown  down.  Peter  abjured  his  heresy,  and  was  brought 
naked  and  barefoot  into  the  church  before  all  the  people; 
the  bishop  of  Toulouse  and  a  certain  abbot  beating  him 
on  each  side  from  the  entrance  of  the  building  to  the 
steps  of  the  altar,  where  the  cardinal  legate  celebrated 
mass.     There,  being  reconciled  to  the  church,  he  again 

*  Rev.  xvii.  13.  f  Baron.  Cent.  xli. 

It  is  evident  that  the  term  Albigenses,  or  rather  Albienses,  employed  by  our 
author,  was  taken  from  the  town  of  Albi,  where  the  Waldenses  flourished. 
And,  indeed,  through  the  dominions  of  Raymond,  earl  of  Toulouse,  and  through 
the  south  of  France,  including  the  territories  of  Avignon,  their  doctrines,  at 
that  time,  spread  with  v.ist  rapidity.  All  these  were  called  in  general,  Albi- 
genses, and,  in  doctrine  and  manners,  were  not  at  all  distinct  from  the  Wal- 
denses. 

+  It  should  be  recollected,  that  this  is  the  account  given  by  Baronius,  a  very 
determined  enemy  of  the  Waldenses. 


Cent.  13.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  71 

abjured  his  heresy,  anathematized  heretics,  and  submit- 
ted to  another  penance,  which  was  this,  namely,  after 
forty  days  to  leave  his  country,  to  serve  the  poor  at  Jeru- 
salem three  years;  and,  during  the  forty  days,  each  Sun- 
day to  go  round  the  churches  of  Toulouse  naked  and 
barefoot,  disciphned  by  rods,  and  to  make  various  resti- 
tutions. It  was  ordered,  however,  that  if  he  should  re- 
turn after  three  years  from  Jerusalem,  then  the  rest  of 
his  property,  till  that  time  held  in  sequestration,  should 
be  restored  to  him.  Many  others  abjured  their  heresies; 
but  some  refusing  to  take  the  oaths  of  subjection  were 
excommunicated,  with  candles  publicly  lighted;  and 
princes  were  ordered  to  expel  them  from  their  dominions. 
Roger,  prince  of  the  Albiensian  diocese,  was  excommu- 
nicated. 

It  was  reserved  to  Innocent  the  Third,  than  whom  no 
pope  ever  possessed  more  ambition,  to  institute  the  In- 
quisition;* and  the  Waldenses  were  the  first  objects  of 
its  cruelty.  He  authorized  certain  monks  to  frame  the 
process  of  that  court,  and  to  deliver  the  supposed  heretics 
to  the  secular  power.  The  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century  saw  thousands  of  persons  hanged  or  burned  by 
these  diabolical  devices,  whose  sole  crime  was,  that  they 
trusted  only  in  Jesus  Christ  for  salvation,  and  renounced 
all  the  vain  hopes  of  self-righteous  idolatry  and  supersti- 
tion. Whoever  has  attended  closely  to  the  subjects  of 
the  two  epistles  to  the  Colossians  and  the  Galatians,  and 
has  penetrated  the  meaning  of  the  apostle,  sees  the  great 
duty  of  holding  the  head,  and  of  resting  for  justification 
by  faith  on  Jesus  Christ  alone,  inculcated  throughout 
them  as  the  predominant  precept  of  Christianity,  in  op- 
position to  the  rudiments  of  the  world,  to  philosophy  and 

*  Some  chronologists  place  the  commencement  of  the  Inquisition  in  1204. 


"72  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/m;;.  2. 

vain  deceit,  to  will-worship,  to  all  dependance  for  our 
happiness  on  human  works  and  devices  of  whatever  kind. 
Such  a  person  sees  what  is  genuine  Protestantism,  as 
contrasted  to  genuine  popery;  and,  of  course,  he  is  con- 
vinced, that  the  difference  is  not  merely  verbal  or  frivo- 
lous, but  that  there  is  a  perfect  opposition  in  the  two 
plans;  and  such  as  admits  of  no  coalition  or  union;  and 
that  therefore  the  true  way  of  withstanding  the  devices 
of  Satan,  is  to  be  faithful  to  the  great  doctrine  of  justifi- 
cation by  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ,  through  faith  alone, 
and  not  by  our  own  works  or  deservings.*  Hence  the 
very  foundation  of  false  religion  is  overthrown;  hence 
troubled  consciences  obtain  soHd  peace:  and,  faith,  work- 
ing by  love,  leads  men  into  the  very  spirit  of  Christianity, 
while  it  comforts  their  hearts,  and  stablishes  them  in 
every  good  work. 

Schemes  of  religion  so  extremely  opposite,  being  ar- 
dently pursued  by  both  parties,  could  not  fail  to  produce 
a  violent  rupture.  In  fact,  the  church  of  Christ  and  the 
world  were  seen  engaged  in  contest.  Innocent,  however, 
first  tried  the  methods  of  argument  and  persuasion.  He 
sent  bishops  and  monks,  who  preached  in  those  places, 
where  the  Waldensian  doctrine  flourished.  But  their 
success  was  very  inconsiderable. 

I  need  not  dwell  on  the  insidious  customs  of  the  In- 
quisition: they  are  but  too  well  known.  From  the  year 
1206,  when  it  was  first  established,  to  the  year  \22S,  the 
havoc  made  among  helpless  Christians  was  so  great,  that 
certain  French  bishops,  in  the  last  mentioned  year,  de- 
sired the  monks  of  the  Inquisition  to  defer  a  little  their 
work  of  imprisonment,  till  the  pope  was  advertised  of  the 
great  number  apprehended;  numbers  so  great,  that  it 

*  Eleventh  article  of  religion. 


Gent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  73 

was  impossible  to  defray  the  charges  of  their  subsistence, 
and  even  to  provide  stone  and  mortar  to  build  prisons  for 
them.  Yet  so  true  is  it,  that  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  is 
the  seed  of  the  church,  that  in  the  year  1530  there  were 
in  Europe  above  eight  hundred  thousand  who  professed 
the  religion  of  the  Waldenses. 

When  the  Albigenses  saw  that  the  design  of  the  pope 
was  to  gain  the  reputation  of  having  used  gentle  and 
reasonable  methods  of  persuasion,  they  agreed  among 
themselves,  to  undertake  the  open  defence  of  their  prin- 
ciples. They  therefore  gave  the  bishops  to  understand, 
that  their  pastors,  or  some  of  them  in  the  name  of  the 
rest,  were  ready  to  prove  their  religion  to  be  truly  scrip- 
tural in  an  open  conference,  provided  the  conference 
might  be  conducted  with  propriety.  They  explained 
their  ideas  of  propriety,  by  desiring  that  there  might  be 
moderators  on  both  sides,  who  shall  be  vested  with  full 
authority  to  prevent  all  tumult  and  violence;  that  the 
conference  should  be  held  in  some  place,  to  which  all 
parties  concerned  might  have  free  and  safe  access;  and, 
moreover,  that  some  one  subject  should  be  chosen,  with 
the  common  consent  of  the  disputants,  which  should  be 
steadily  prosecuted,  till  it  was  fully  discussed  and  deter- 
mined; and  that  he,  who  could  not  maintain  it  by  the 
word  of  God,  the  only  decisive  rule  of  Christians,  should 
own  himself  to  be  confuted. 

All  this  was  something  more  than  specious:  it  was 
perfectly  equitable  and  unexceptionably  judicious;  so 
much  so,  that  the  bishops  and  monks  could  not  with  de- 
cency refuse  to  accept  the  terms.  The  place  of  confer- 
ence agreed  upon  was  Montreal  near  Carcassone,  in  the 
year  1206.     The  umpires  on  the  one  side  were  the 

Vol.  II.  K 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2 

bishops  of  Villeneiise  and  Auxerre;  on  the  other,  R.  de 
Bot,  and  Anthony  Riviere. 

Several  pastors  were  deputed  to  manage  the  debate 
for  the  Albigenses,  of  whom  Arnold  Hot  was  the  princi- 
pal. He  arrived  first  at  the  time  and  place  appointed. 
A  bishop  named  Eusus,  came  afterwards  on  the  side  of 
the  papacy,  accompanied  by  the  monk  Dominic,  two  of 
the  pope's  legates,  and  several  other  priests  and  monks. 
The  points  undertaken  to  be  proved  by  Arnold,  were, 
that  the  mass  and  transubstantiation  were  idolatrous  and 
unscriptural;  that  the  church  of  Rome  was  not  the  spouse 
of  Christ,  and  that  its  polity  was  bad  and  unholy.  Arnold 
sent  these  propositions  to  the  bishop,  who  required  fifteen 
days  to  answer  him,  which  was  granted.  At  the  day  ap- 
pointed, the  bishop  appeared,  bringing  with  him  a  large 
manuscript,  which  was  read  in  the  conference.  Arnold 
desired  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  reply  by  word  of 
mouth,  only  entreating  their  patience,  if  he  took  a  con- 
siderable time  in  answering  so  prolix  a  writing.  Fair 
promises  of  a  patient  hearing  were  granted  him.  He 
discoursed  for  the  space  of  four  days  with  great  fluency 
and  readiness,  and  with  such  order,  perspicuity,  and 
strength  of  argument,  that  a  powerful  impression  was 
made  on  the  audience. 

At  length,  Arnold  desired  that  the  bishops  and  monks 
would  undertake  to  vindicate  the  mass  and  transubstan- 
tiation by  the  word  of  God.  What  they  said  on  the  oc- 
casion we  are  not  told;  but  the  cause  of  the  abrupt  con- 
clusion of  the  conference,  a  matter  of  fact  allowed  on  all 
sides,  showed  which  party  had  the  advantage  in  argu- 
ment. While  the  two  legates  were  disputing  with  Arnold 
at  Montreal,  and  at  the  same  time  several  other  confer- 
ences were  held  in  different  places,  the  bishop  of  Ville- 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  75 

neuse,  the  umpire  of  the  papal  party,  declared,  that  no- 
thing could  be  determined,  because  of  the  coming  of  the 
crusaders.  What  he  asserted  was  too  true;  the  papal 
armies  advanced,  and,  by  .fire  and  faggot,  soon  decided 
all  controversies. 

Three  hundred  thousand  pilgrims,  induced  by  the 
united  motives  of  avarice  and  superstition,  filled  the  coun- 
try of  the  Albigenses  with  carnage  and  confusion  for  a 
number  of  years.  The  reader,  who  is  not  versed  in  his- 
tory of  this  kind,  can  scarcely  conceive  the  scenes  of 
baseness,  perfidy,  barbarity,  indecency,  and  hypocrisy, 
over  which  Innocent  presided:  and  which  were  conduct- 
ed partly  by  his  legates,  and  partly  by  the  infamous  earl 
Simon  of  Montfort.  But  let  it  suflicc  to  have  said  this 
in  general:  it  is  more  to  our  purpose  to  observe  the  spirit 
of  the  people  of  God  in  these  grievous  tribulations.  The 
castle  of  Menerbe  on  the  frontiers  of  Spain,  for  want  of 
water,  was  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  surrendering  to 
the  pope's  legate.  A  certain  abbot  undertook  to  preach 
to  those  who  were  found  in  the  castle,  and  to  exhort 
them  to  acknowledge  the  pope.  But  they  interrupted 
his  discourse,  declaring  that  his  labour  was  to  no  purpose. 
Earl  Simon  and  the  legate  then  caused  a  great  fire  to  be 
kindled;  and  they  burned  a  hundred  and  forty  persons 
of  both  sexes.  These  martyrs  died  in  triumph,  praising 
God  that  he  had  counted  them  worthy  to  suifer  for  the 
sake  of  Christ.  They  opposed  the  legate  to  his  face, 
and  told  Simon,  that  on  the  last  day,  when  the  books 
should  be  opened,  he  would  meet  with  the  just  judgment 
of  God  for  all  his  cruelties.  Several  monks  entreated 
them  to  have  pity  on  themselves,  and  promised  them 
their  lives  if  they  would  submit  to  the  popedom.     But 


76  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

the  Christians  "loved  not  their  lives  to  the  death:"*  only 
three  women  of  the  company  recanted. 

Another  castle  named  Termes,  not  far  from  Menerbe, 
in  the  territory  of  Narbonne,  was  taken  by  Simon  in  the 
year  1210.  "  This  place,"  said  Simon,  "  is  of  all  others 
the  most  execrable,  because  no  mass  has  been  sung  in  it 
for  tiiirty  years."  A  remark  which  gives  us  some  idea 
both  of  the  stability  and  numbers  of  the  Waldenses:  the 
very  worship  of  popery,  it  seems,  was  expelled  from  this 
place.  The  inhabitants  made  their  escape  by  night,  and 
avoided  the  merciless  hands  of  Simon. 

A  single  act  of  humanity,  exercised  by  this  general  on 
the  principles  of  chivalry,  toward  several  women,  whose 
persons  he  preserved  from  military  insult  and  outrage,  is 
the  only  one  of  the  kind  recorded  of  him. 

But  the  triumphing  of  the  wicked  is  short:  after  he 
had  been  declared  sovereign  of  Toulouse,  which  he  had 
conquered,  general  of  the  armies  of  the  church,  its  son 
and  its  darling,  after  he  had  oppressed  and  tyrannized 
over  the  Albigenses  by  innumerable  confiscations  and 
exactions,  he  was  slain  in  battle  in  the  year  1218. 

Secuhir  and  ecclesiastical  ambition  united  to  oppress 
the  churches  of  Christ.  The  monk  Reinerius,  whom 
we  have  had  occasion  repeatedly  to  quote,  acted  as  in- 
quisitor in  the  year  1250.  There  is  evidence  of  the  ex- 
treme violence  of  persecution  continued  against  the  Albi- 
genses, now  altogether  defenceless,  to  the  year  1281. 
Long  before  this,  in  the  year  1229,  a  council  was  held 
at  Toulouse,  one  of  the  canons  of  which  was,  that  the 
laity  were  not  allowed  to  have  the  Old  or  New  Testament 
in  the  vulgar  tongue,  except  a  psalter  or  the  like;  and  it 
forbad  men  even  to  translate  the  Scriptures. 

*  Rev.  xii.  7. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  77 

The  people  of  God  were  thus,  at  length,  for  the  most 
part,  exterminated  in  Toulouse,  and  found  no  other  re- 
source but,  by  patient  continuance  in  well-doing,  to  com- 
mit themselves  to  their  God  and  Saviour.  Antichrist, 
for  the  present,  was  visibly  triumphant  in  the  south-west 
parts  of  France,  and  the  witnesses  "  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth," there  consoled  themselves  with  the  hope  of  heaven- 
ly rest,  being  deprived  of  all  prospect  of  earthly  enjoy- 
ments. 

Dauphiny  is  a  province  of  France,  which  was  very  full 
of  the  Waldenses,  who  inhabited  valleys  on  both  sides  of 
the  Alps.  On  the  Italian  side,  the  valley  of  Pregela  in 
particular  had,  in  our  author's  time,  in  1618,  six  churches, 
each  having  its  pastor,  and  every  pastor  having  the  care 
of  several  villages,  which  appertained  to  his  church.  The 
oldest  people  in  them,  Perrin  observes,  never  remember- 
ed to  have  heard  mass  sung  in  their  country.  The  valley 
itself  was  one  of  the  n)ost  secure  retreats  of  the  Walden- 
ses, being  environed  on  all  sides  with  mountains,  into 
whose  caverns  the  people  were  accustomed  to  retreat  in 
time  of  persecution.  Vignaux,  one  of  their  preachers, 
used  to  admire  the  integriry  of  the  people,  whom  no  dan- 
gers whatever  could  seduce  from  the  faith  of  their  ances- 
tors. Their  children  were  catechised  with  the  minutest 
care;  and  their  pastors  not  only  exhorted  them  on  the 
Sabbaths,  but  also,  on  the  week  days  went  to  their  ham- 
lets to  instruct  them.  With  much  inconvenience  to 
themsel\[es,  these  teachers  climbed  the  steepest  mountains 
to  visit  their  flocks.  The  word  of  God  was  heard  with 
reverence:  the  voice  of  prayer  was  common  in  private 
houses,  as  well  as  in  the  churches:  Christian  simplicity 
and  zeal  abounded;  and  plain  useful  learning  was  dili- 
gently cultivated  in  the  schools. 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/wp.  2. 

A  monk  inquisitor,  named  Francis  Borclli,  in  the  year 
1380,  armed  with  a  bull  of  Clement  VII.  undertook  to 
persecute  the  godly  Waldenses.  In  the  space  of  thirteen 
years  he  delivered  a  hundred  and  fifty  persons  to  the 
secular  power,  to  be  burned  at  Grenoble.  In  the  valley 
of  Fraissiniere  and  the  neighbourhood,  he  apprehended 
eighty  persons,  who  also  were  burned.  The  monkish 
inquisitors  adjudged  one  moiety  of  the  goods  of  the  per- 
sons condemned  to  themselves,  the  rest  to  the  temporal 
lords.  What  efforts  may  not  be  expected,  when  avarice, 
malice,  and  superstition  unite  in  the  same  cause? 

About  the  year  1400,  the  persecutors  attacked  the 
Waldenses  of  the  valley  of  Pragela.  The  poor  people 
seeing  their  caves  possessed  by  their  enemies,  who  as- 
saulted them  during  the  severity  of  the  winter,  retreated 
to  one  of  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Alps,  the  mothers 
carrying  cradles,  and  leading  by  the  hand,  those  httle 
children  who  were  able  to  walk.  Many  of  them  were 
murdered,  others  were  starved  to  death:  a  hundred  and 
eighty  children  were  found  dead  in  their  cradles,  and  the 
greatest  part  of  their  mothers  died  soon  after  them.  But 
why  should  I  relate  all  the  particulars  of  such  a  scene  of 
infernal  barbarity? 

In  1460,  those  of  the  valley  of  Fraissiniere  were  per- 
secuted by  a  monk  of  the  order  of  Friar  Minors,  or  Fran- 
ciscans, armed  with  the  authority  of  the  archbishop  of 
Ambrun.  And  it  appears  from  documents  preserved  till 
the  time  of  Perrin,  that  every  method  which  fraud  and 
calumny  could  invent,  was  practised  against  them. 

In  the  valley  of  Loyse,  four  hundred  httle  children 
were  found  suffocated  in  their  cradles,  or  in  the  arms  of 
their  deceased  mothers,  in  consequence  of  a  great  quan- 
tity of  wood  being  placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  caves 


Cent  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  79 

and  set  on  fire.  On  the  whole,  above  three  thousand 
persons  belonging  to  the  valley  were  destroyed,  and  this 
righteous  people  were  in  that  place  exterminated.  The 
Waldenses  of  Pragela  and  Fraissinieie,  alarmed  by  these 
sanguinary  proceedings,  made  provision  for  their  own 
safety,  and  expected  the  enemy  at  the  passage  and  nar- 
row straits  of  their  valleys,  and  were  in  fact  so  well  pre- 
pared to  receive  them,  that  the  invaders  were  obliged  to 
retreat.  Some  attempts  were  made  afterwards  by  the 
Waldenses  in  Fraissiniere  to  regain  their  property,  which 
had  been  unjustly  seized  by  their  persecutors.  The 
favour  of  Lewis  XII.  of  France,  was  exerted  toward 
them;  yet  they  could  never  obtain  any  remedy. 

In  Piedmont  the  archbishops  of  Turin  assiduously 
laboured  to  molest  the  Waldenses,  having  been  informed 
by  the  priests  in  those  valleys,  that  the  people  made  no 
offerings  for  the  dead,  valued  not  masses  and  absolutions, 
and  took  no  care  to  redeem  their  relations  from  the  pains 
of  purgatory.  The  love  of  lucre,  no  doubt,  had  a  princi- 
pal share  in  promoting  the  persecutions;  for  the  sums 
collected  by  the  means  of  these  and  similar  vanities,  were 
immense.  The  princes  of  Piedmont,  however,  who  were 
the  dukes  of  Savoy,  were  very  unwilling  to  disturb  their 
subjects,  of  whose  loyalty,  peaceableness,  industry,  and 
probity  they  receive  such  uniform  testimony.  A  fact, 
which  seemed  peculiarly  to  demonstrate  their  general 
innocence,  must  be  noticed;  their  neighbours  particularly 
prized  a  Piedmontese  servant,  and  preferred  the  women 
of,  the  valleys  above  all  others,  to  nurse  their  children. 
Calumny,  however,  prevailed  at  length;  and  such  a  num- 
ber of  accusations  against  them  appeared,  charging  them 
with  crimes  of  the  most  monstrous  nature,  that  the  civil 
power  permitted  the  papal  to  indulge  its  thirst  for  blood. 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

Dreadful  cruelties  were  inflicted  on  the  people  of  God; 
and  these,  by  their  constancy,  revived  the  memory  of  the 
primitive  martyrs.  Among  them  Catelin  Girard  was 
distinguished,  who,  standing  on  the  block,  on  which  he 
w^as  to  be  burned  at  Revel  in  the  marquisate  of  Saluces, 
requested  his  executioners  to  give  him  two  stones:  which 
request  being  with  difficulty  obtained,  the  martyr,  hold- 
ing them  in  his  hands,  said,  when  I  have  eaten  these 
stones,  then  you  shall  see  an  end  of  that  religion,  for 
which  ye  put  me  to  death.  And  then  he  cast  the  stones 
on  the  ground. 

The  fires  continued  to  be  kindled  till  the  year  1488, 
when  the  method  of  military  violence  was  adopted  by  the 
persecutors,  Albert  de  Capitaneis,  archdeacon  of  Cre- 
mona, was  deputed  by  pope  Innocent  VIII.  to  assault  the 
sufferers  with  the  sword.  Eighteen  thousand  soldiers 
were  raised  for  the  service,  besides  many  of  the  Pied- 
montese  papists,  who  ran  to  the  plunder  from  all  parts. 
But  the  Waldenses,  armed  with  wooden  targets  and 
crossbows,  and  availing  themselves  of  the  natural  advan- 
tages of  their  situation,  repulsed  their  enemies;  the  wo- 
men and  children  on  their  knees  entreating  the  Lord  to 
protect  his  people,  during  the  engagement. 

Philip,  duke  of  Savoy,  having  been  informed,  that  their 
young  children  were  born  with  black  throats;  that  they 
were  hairy  and  had  four  rows  of  teeth,  he  ordered  some 
of  them  to  be  brought  before  him  to  Pignerol;  where, 
having  convinced  himself  by  ocular  demonstration  that 
the  Waldenses  were  not  monsters,  he  determined  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  persecution.  But  he  seems  not  to 
have  had  sufficient  power  to  execute  his  good  intentions. 
The  papal  inquisitors  daily  endeavoured  to  apprehend 
these  sincere  followers  of  Christ,  and  the  persecution 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  81 

lasted  till  the  year  15S2.  Then  it  was  that  the  Pied- 
montese  began  openly  to  perform  divine  worship  in  their 
churches.  This  provoked  the  civil  power,  at  length, 
against  them  to  such  a  degree,  that  it  concurred  more 
vigorously  with  the  papal  measures  of  military  violence. 

The  Waldenses,  however,  defended  themselves  with 
courage  and  success:  the  priests  left  the  country:  the 
mass  was  expelled  from  Piedmont;  and,  whereas  the 
people  had  hitherto  only  the  New  Testament  and  some 
books  of  the  Old  translated  into  the  Waldensian  tongue, 
they  now  sent  the  whole  Bible  to  the  press;  for,  till  1535, 
they  had  only  manuscripts,  and  those  few  in  number. 
They  procured,  at  Neufchatel  in  Switzerland,  a  printed 
Bible  from  one,  who  published  the  first  impression  of  the 
word  of  God  which  was  seen  in  France.  They  en- 
deavoured to  provide  themselves  also  with  religious  books 
from  Geneva,  but  their  messenger  was  apprehended  and 
put  to  death. 

The  persecutions  were  continued  against  this  people 
by  Francis  I.  king  of  France,  with  savage  barbarity; 
and,  in  particular,  Jeffrey,  who  was  burned  in  the  castle 
yard  at  Turin,  made  a  strong  impression  on  the  minds  of 
many,  by  his  piety,  meekness,  and  constancy. 

About  the  year  1370  some  of  the  Waldensian  youths 
of  Dauphiny  sought  in  Calabria  a  new  settlement,  be- 
cause their  native  country,  was  too  small  for  the  number 
of  the  inhabitants.  Finding  the  soil  fertile,  and  the  re- 
gion thinly  peopled,  they  applied  to  the  proprietors  of  the 
lands,  and  treated  with  them  concerning  the  conditions 
of  dwelling  there.  The  lords  of  the  country  gave  them 
the  most  kind  reception,  agreed  with  them  on  fair  and 
equitable  terms,  and  assigned  them  parcels  of  lands.  The 
new  colonists  soon  enriched  and  fertilized  their  respec- 

VoL.  II.  L 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  2. 

tive  districts  by  superior  industry:  and,  by  probity,  peace- 
able manners,  and  punctual  payment  of  their  rents,  they 
gained  the  affections  of  their  landlords,  and  of  all  their 
neighbours.  The  priests  alone,  who  found  that  they  did 
not  act  like  others  in  religion,  and  that  they  contributed 
nothing  to  the  support  of  the  hierarchy  by  masses  for  the 
dead,  or  by  other  Roniisli  formalities,  were  highly  offend- 
ed. They  were  particularly  vexed  to  find,  that  certain 
foreign  schoolmasters,  who  taught  the  children  of  tliese 
strangers,  were  held  in  high  respect,  and  that  they  them- 
selves received  nothing  from  them  except  tithes,  which 
were  paid  according  to  the  compact  with  their  lords. 
From  these  circumstances,  the  priests  concluding  that 
the  strangers  must  be  heretics,  were  tempted  to  complain 
of  them  to  the  pope.  The  lords,  however,  withheld 
them  from  complaining  of  the  people.  "  They  are  just 
and  honest,"  say  they,  "  and  have  enriched  all  the  coun- 
try. Even  ye,  priests,  have  received  substantial  emolu- 
ment from  their  labours.  The  tithes  alone,  which  ye 
now  receive,  are  so  much  superior  to  those,  which  were 
formerly  produced  from  these  countries,  that  you  may 
well  bear  with  some  losses  on  other  accounts.  Perhaps 
the  country  whence  they  came  is  not  so  much  addicted 
to  the  ceremonies  of  the  Roman  church.  But  as  they 
fear  God,  are  liberal  to  the  needy,  just  and  beneficent  to 
all  men,  it  is  ungenerous  anxiously  to  scrutinize  their 
consciences.  For  are  they  not  a  temperate,  sober,  pru- 
dent people,  and  in  their  words  peculiarly  decent?  And 
does  any  person  ever  hear  them  utter  a  blasphemous  ex- 
pression?" The  lords  admiring  their  tenants,  who  were 
distinguished  from  the  inhabitants  all  around  by  probity 
and  virtue,  maintained  and  protected  them  against  their 
enemies  till  the  year  1560. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  8S 

Pope  Pius  IV.  determined  to  extirpate  a  people  who 
had  presumed  to  plant  Lutheranism, — so  he  called  their 
religion, — so  near  to  his  seat  What  follows  of  the  his- 
tory of  this  people  is  a  distressful  scene  of  persecution. 
Numbers  of  them  being  murdered,  by  two  companies  of 
soldiers,  headed  by  the  pope's  agents,  the  rest  craved 
mercy  for  themselves,  their  wives,  and  children,  declaring, 
that  if  they  were  permitted  to  leave  the  country  with  a 
few  conveniences,  they  would  not  return  to  it  any  more. 
But  their  enemies  knew  not  how  to  show  mercy;  and 
the  persecuted  Christians  at  length  defended  themselves 
from  their  invaders,  and  put  them  to  flight.  The  viceroy 
of  Naples  hearing  of  these  things,  appeared  in  person  to 
prosecute  the  diabolical  business  of  the  pope;  and  in  a 
little  time,  the  Calabrian  Waldenses  were  entirely  exter- 
minated. The  most  barbarous  cruelties  were  inflicted 
on  many:  some  were  tortured,  in  order  to  oblige  them 
to  own,  that  their  friends  had  committed  the  most  flagi- 
tious incests;  and  the  whole  apparatus  of  pagan  persecu- 
tion was  seen  to  be  revived  in  the  south  of  Italy. 

A  certain  youth,  named  Samson,  defended  himself  a 
long  time  against  those,  who  came  to  apprehend  him. 
But  being  wounded,  he  was  at  length  taken  and  led  to 
the  top  of  a  tower.  Confess  yourself  to  a  priest  here 
present,  said  the  persecutors,  before  you  be  thrown  down. 
I  have  already,  says  Samson,  confessed  myself  to  God. 
Throw  him  down  from  the  tower,  said  the  inquisitor. 
The  next  day  the  viceroy  passing  below  near  the  said 
tower,  saw  the  poor  man  yet  alive,  with  all  his  bones 
broken.  He  kicked  him  with  his  foot  on  the  head,  say- 
ing, Is  the  dog  yet  alive?  Give  him  to  the  hogs  to  eat. 
This  was  in  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  Waldenses  of  Provence  fertilized  a  barren  soil  bv 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C7iap.  2. 

their  industry,  but,  like  their  brethren  elsewhere,  were 
exposed  to  persecution.  An  attempt  was  made  to  pre- 
judice the  mind  of  Lewis  XII.  against  them,  about  the 
year  1506,  by  such  calumnies  as  those,  with  which  the 
primitive  Christians  were  aspersed.  The  king,  struck 
with  horror,  directed  the  parliament  of  Provence  to  in- 
vestigate the  charges,  and  to  punish  those,  who  were 
found  guilty.  But  afterwards,  understanding  that  some 
innocent  men  were  put  to  death,  he  sent  two  persons  to 
inquire  into  the  conduct  of  these  people,  by  whose  dis- 
tinct information  he  was  so  thoroughly  convinced  of  their 
innocence,  that  he  swore  they  were  better  men  than  him- 
self and  his  Catholic  subjects;  and  he  protected  them 
during  the  rest  of  his  reign.  Thus  the  candour,  hu- 
manity, and  generosity  of  that  monarch,  who  was  de- 
servedly looked  on  as  the  father  of  his  people,  was  pro- 
videntially instrumental  in  the  defence  of  the  Waldenses. 
Some  time  after,  these  Provenc'al  Protestants  wrote  a 
letter  to  the  reformer  Ecolampadius  of  Basle,  which,  as 
a  monument  of  Christian  humility  and  simplicity,  well 
deserves  to  be  transcribed.  "  Health  to  Mr.  Ecolampa- 
dius. Whereas  several  persons  have  given  us  to  under- 
stand, that  He,  who  is  able  to  do  all  things,  hath  reple- 
nished you  with  his  Holy  Spirit,  as  it  conspicuously  ap- 
pears by  the  fruits;  we,  therefore,  have  recourse  to  you 
from  a  far  country,  with  a  steadfast  hope,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  will  enlighten  our  understanding  by  your  means, 
and  give  us  the  knowledge  of  several  things,  in  which 
we  are  now  doubtful,  and  which  are  hidden  from  us,  be- 
cause of  our  slothful  ignorance,  and  remissness,  to  the 
great  damage,  as  we  fear,  both  of  ourselves  and  the  peo- 
ple, of  whom  we  are  the  unworthy  teachers.  That  you 
may  know  at  once  how  matters  stand  with  us,  we,  such 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  85 

as  we  are,  poor  instructors  of  tliis  small  people,  have  un- 
dergone, for  above  four  hundred  years,  most  cruel  per- 
secutions, not  without  signal  marks  of  the  favour  of 
Christ;  for  he  hath  interposed  to  deliver  us,  when  under 
the  harrow  of  severe  tribulations.  In  this  our  state  of 
weakness  we  come  to  you  for  advice  and  consolation.'^ 

They  wrote  in  the  same  strain  to  other  reformers,  and 
were,  it  seems,  so  zealous  to  profit  by  their  superior  light 
and  knowledge,  that  they  willingly  exposed  themselves, 
by  this  means,  to  a  share  of  the  same  persecutions  which 
at  that  time  oppressed  the  Lutherans, — so  the  reformed 
were  then  generally  called, — both  in  France  and  through 
all  Euiope. 

About  the  year  1330,  Echard,  a  Dominican  monk,  an 
inquisitor,  grievously  oppressed  the  Waldenses  of  Ger- 
many. At  length,  after  many  cruelties,  he  urged  the 
Waldenses  to  inform  him  of  the  real  cause  of  their  sepa- 
ration from  the  church  of  Rome,  being  convinced  in  his 
conscience  of  the  justice  of  several  of  their  charges. 
This  was  an  opportunity  not  often  vouchsafed  to  this 
people  by  their  enemies,  of  using  the  weapons  of  Chris- 
tian warfare.  The  event  was  salutary:  Echard  was  en- 
lightened, confessed  the  faith  of  Christ,  united  himself  to 
his  people;  like  Paul  he  preached  the  faith  which  once 
he  destroyed;  and,  in  the  issue,  was  burned  at  Heidelberg, 
and  the  Christians  glorified  God  in  him. 

Raynard  Lollard  was  another  convert  of  the  same 
kind,  at  first  a  Franciscan  and  an  enemy  to  the  Wal- 
denses. He  was  taken  by  the  inquisitors  after  he  had 
diligently  taught  the  gospel,  and  was  burned  at  Cologne. 
From  him  the  Wickliffiles  in  England  were  called  Lol- 
lards, and  he  it  was  wlio  instructed  the  English  who  re- 
sided in  Guienne,   in  the  Waldensian  doctrine.     The 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE  {^Chap.  2. 

connexion  between  France  and  England,  during  the 
whole  reign  of  Edward  III.  was  so  great,  that  it  is  by  no 
means  improbable,  that  Wickliffe  himself  derived  his  first 
impressions  of  religion  from  Lcllard.  Princes  and  states 
may  carry  on  wars  and  negotiations  with  one  another; 
while  He,  who  rules  all  things  makes  every  event  sub- 
servient to  the  great  design  of  spreading  the  kingdom  of 
his  Son. 

Flanders  was  also  a  violent  scene  of  Waldeusian  per- 
secution. 

Persecutors  in  Flanders  tormented  the  Christians  by 
means  of  hornets,  wasps,  and  hives  of  bees.  The  people 
of  God,  however,  were  strong  in  faith  and  love.  They 
turned  the  Scripture  into  Low^  Dutch  rhymes,  for  the 
edification  of  the  brethren;  and  they  gave  this  reason  for 
the  practice:  "  In  Scripture  there  are  no  jests,  fables, 
trifles,  or  deceits;  but  w^ords  of  solid  truth.  Here  and 
there,  indeed,  is  an  hard  crust;  but  the  marrow  and 
sweetness  of  what  is  good  and  holy  may  easily  be  dis- 
covered in  it."  A  peculiar  regard  for  holy  writ  amidst 
ages  of  darkness,  forms  the  glory  of  the  Waldensian 
churches. 

England,  because  of  its  insular  situation,  knew  less  of 
all  these  scenes  than  the  Continent.  But  the  striking 
narrative  of  the  sufferers,  in  the  time  of  Henry  II.  which 
has  been  recorded,  ought  to  be  added  to  the  list  of  Wal- 
densian persecutions.  No  part  of  Europe,  in  short,  was 
exempt  from  the  sufferings  of  these  Christian  heroes. 
Paris  itself,  the  metropolis  of  France,  saw,  in  1304,  a 
hundred  and  fourteen  persons  burned  alive,  who  bore  the 
flames  with  admirable  constancy. 

Thus  largely  did  the  "  King  of  Saints"*  provide  for 

*  Rev.  sv.  3. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  87 

the  instruction  of  iiis  church,  in  the  darkness  of  the  mid- 
dle ages.  The  Waldcnscs  are  the  middle  link,  which 
connects  the  primitive  Christians  and  fathers  with  the 
reformed;  and,  by  their  means,  the  proof  is  completely 
established,  that  salvation,  by  the  grace  of  Christ,  felt  in 
the  heart,  and  expressed  in  the  life,  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  has  ever  existed  from  the  time  of  the  apos- 
tles till  this  day;  and  that  it  is  a  doctrine  marked  by  the 
cross,  and  distinct  from  all  that  religion  of  mere  form  or 
convenience,  or  of  human  invention,  which  calls  itself 
Christian,  but  which  wants  the  Spirit  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  nr. 

Corruptions. 

The  corruptions  of  Rome  are  made  still  more  glaring- 
ly manifest  by  the  following  circumstances.  Pope  Gre- 
gory IX.  willing  to  revive  the  cause  of  the  eastern  cru- 
sades, which,  through  a  series  of  disastrous  events,  was 
now  much  on  the  decline;  and  feeling  the  connexion  be- 
tween this  cause  and  the  credit  of  the  popedom,  by  a 
bull  directed  to  all  Christendom  invited  men  to  assume 
the  cross,  and  proceed  to  the  Holy  Land.  "  Notwith- 
standing," says  he,  "  the  ingratitude  of  Christians,  the 
goodness  of  God  is  not  withdrawn  from  them.  His* 
providence  is  still  actively  engaged  to  promote  the  hap- 
piness of  mankind:  his  remedies  suit  their  temper;  his 
prescriptions  are  proportioned  to  the  disease. — The  ser- 
vice to  which  they  are  now  invited  is  an  effectual  atone- 

*  Collier's  Ecc,  vol.  i. 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICImp.  5. 

mcnt  for  the  miscarriages  of  a  negligent  life;  the  disci- 
phne  of  a  regular  penance  would  have  discouraged  many 
offenders  so  much,  that  they  would  have  had  no  heart  to 
venture  upon  it:  but  the  Holy  ivar  is  a  compendious 
method  of  discharging  men  from  guilt,  and  restoring 
them  to  the  divine  favour.  Even  if  they  die  on  their 
march,  the  intention  will  be  taken  for  the  deed,  and 
many  in  this  way  may  be  crowned  without  fighting." 

The  Franciscans  and  Dominicans  were  employed  in 
enlisting  men  into  the  service  of  the  crusades  by  Gregory 
IX.  the  author  of  the  impious  bull  mentioned  above. 
They  engaged  in  the  business  with  much  ardour:  and  as 
it  often  happened  that  persons,  who  in  the  warmth  of 
zeal  had  taken  the  cross,  repented  afterwards,  when  they 
began  to  think  seriously  of  the  difficulties  of  the  enter- 
prise, these  friars  were  employed  to  release  such  devotees 
from  their  vows,  on  the  payment  of  a  fine.  It  may  easily 
be  conceived,  that  much  wealth  would  be  amassed  by 
this  dispensing  power.* 

The  Franciscans  and  Dominicans  had  ample  buildings 
and  princely  houses.f  They  attended  the  death-beds  of 
the  rich  and  great,  and  urged  them  to  bequeath  immense 
legacies  to  their  own  orders.  The  subtle  jargon  of  the 
schools  infected  their  whole  semblance  of  learning. 
However,  as  they  appeared  more  knowing,  and  were 
certainly  more  studious  than  the  other  orders,  they  gain- 
ed much  ground  in  this  century;  and  indeed  till  the  time 
of  the  institution  of  the  Jesuits,  they  were  the  pillars  of 
the  papacy.  Persecution  of  heretics,  so  called,  formed  a 
great  part  of  their  employment.     The  Dominicans|  in 

*  Collier,  vol.  i.  f  History  of  the  Abbey  of  St.  Alban's,  by  Newcome. 

i  These  were  also  calledjacobins,  from  their  settlement  in  St.  James's  street 
in  Paris. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  89 

particular  were  the  founders  of  the  Inquisition.  These 
last  came  into  England  about  the  year  1221,  and  first 
appeared  at  Oxford.  The  Franciscans  were  first  settled 
at  Canterbury  in  1234.  They  both  cultivated  the  Aris- 
totelian philosophy,  and  being  the  confidential  agents  of 
the  pope,  they,  under  various  pretences,  exacted  large 
sums  of  money  through  the  kingdom,  and  fleeced  even 
the  abbots  of  the  monasteries. 

A  remarkable-  instance  of  papal  tyranny,  exercised 
through  their  means  in  this  century,  will  show  the  abject 
slavery  and  superstition  under  which  England  groaned. 
In  1247,  Innocent  IV.  gave  a  commission  to  John  the 
Franciscan,  as  follows:  "  We  charge  you,  that  if  the 
major  part  of  the  English  prelates  should  make  answer, 
that  they  are  exempt  from  foreign  jurisdiction,  you  de- 
mand a  greater  sum,  and  compel  tiiem,  by  ecclesiastic:  1 
censures,  to  withdraw  their  appeals,  any  privilege  or  in- 
dulgence notwithstanding.*^ 

This  was  the  famous  "  non  obstante  clause,^'  by  which 
the  pope,  in  the  plenitude  of  his  dominion,  assumed  to 
himself  the  same  dispensing  power  in  the  church,  which 
king  James  11.  did  long  after  in  the  state.  But  the 
punishment  of  the  former  for  his  temerity  and  arrogance 
followed  not  so  soon  as  in  the  latter.  For  God  had  put 
into  the  hearts  of  princes  and  statesmen  to  fulfil  his  will, 
and  to  agree  and  give  their  kingdom  to  the  beast,  until 
the  words  of  God  should  be  fulfilled.*  And  thus  the 
wickedness  of  men  in  neglecting  his  gospel  was  justly 
punished. 

So  shameless  were  the  popes  at  this  time  in  their  ex- 
actions, and  so  secure  was  their  hold  on  the  abject  su- 
perstition of  mankind,  that  they  grossly  defrauded  even 

*  Rev.  xvii.  17. 
Vol.  II.  M 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICJiap.  3. 

the  Franciscans  themselves,  and  were  not  afraid  of  the 
consequences.  Men,  who  received  not  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  refused  subuiission  to  his  easy  yoke, 
were  induced  to  kiss  the  iron  rod  of  an  Itahan  tyrant. 

The  greater  part  of  mankind  throughout  Europe  at 
that  time  were  given  up  to  Pharisaism.  We  have  seen, 
however,  that  the  Waldenses  could  find  peace  and  rehef 
of  conscience,  and  the  expectation  of  lieaven  through 
Jesus  Christ  alone,  by  faith;  and  hence,  were  enabled  to 
despise  the  whole  popedom  with  all  its  appendages;  while 
others,  who  trembltd  in  conscience  for  their  sins,  and 
knew  not  the  holy  wisdom  of  resting  on  Christ  alone  for 
salvation,  might  swell  with  indignation  at  the  wickedness 
of  the  court  of  Rome,  yet  not  dare  to  emancipate  them- 
selves from  its  bonds. 

At  this  time,  during  the  prevalence  of  the  Aristotelian 
philosophy,  the  doctrine  of  "  grace  of  congruity^'  was  in 
high  repute:  in  other  words,  justification  by  men's  own 
works  was  insisted  on:  and  while  some  decent  show  of 
respect  was  paid  in  words  to  the  merits  of  Christ,  the 
real  meritorious  objects,  on  which  men  were  taught  to 
place  their  hope,  were  some  performances,  by  which 
they  might,  in  a  lower  sense,  deserve  grace,  and  purchase 
the  application  of  it  to  themselves.*  Thus,  a  religion 
prevailed,  which  accommodated  all  sorts  of  sinners. 
Those  of  a  more  decent  cast  were  taught  to  expect  the 
Divine  favour  by  their  own  works,  which  deserved  grace 
of  congruity;  and  the  most  scandalous  transgressors,  by 
the  doctrine  of  commutation  for  offences,  might  still  ob- 
tain forgiveness:  the  exercise  of  munificence  toward  the 
hierarchy  was  sure  to  cover  all  crimes;  but  the  humble 
and  the  contrite  alone,  who  felt  what  sin  is,  and  sighed 

*  Thh'teenth  article  of  tlie  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  91 

for  a  remedy,  found  no  relief  to  consciences,  which  could 
not  admit  the  delusive  refreshments  provided  by  the 
papacy.  These,  either  mourned  in  secret,  and  poured 
out  their  souls  to  that  God,  who  says  to  his  creatures^ 
"seek  and  ye  shall  find,"  or  if  they  united  themselves  in 
a  body  of  faithful  people,  maintained  the  character  of 
those  "  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,"  and  suffer- 
ed the  extremities  of  persecution,  under  the  name  of 
Waldenses. 

On  the  subject  of  the  propagation  of  the  gospel,  scarce 
any  thing  occurs  in  this  age.  The  godly  spirit  of  mis- 
sionaries, which  had  been  the  glory  of  the  declining 
church,  was  by  this  time  exfiausted;  so  extensively  had 
the  papal  corruptions  prevailed.  The  only  accession  to 
the  Christian  name  in  Europe  seems  to  have  been  the 
conversion,  as  it  is  called,  of  the  Prussians,  Lithuanians, 
and  some  adjoining  provinces. 

Prussia  was  one  of  the  last  regions  of  the  north,  which 
bowed  under  the  yoke  of  the  popedom.  The  ignorance, 
brutality,  and  ferocity  of  the  inhabitants,  were  uncom- 
monly great.  The  Teutonic  knights,  after  they  had  lost 
their  possessions  in  Palestine,  took  the  cross  against  the 
Prussians,  and,  after  a  long  and  bloody  war,  forced  them 
to  receive  the  name  of  Christ;  but  I  know  no  evidences 
of  piety,  either  in  the  missionaries  or  in  the  proselytes. 
The  destruction,  however,  of  the  old  idolatry,  and  the 
introduction  of  something  of  Christianity,  would  eventu- 
ally, at  least,  prove  a  blessing  to  this  people. 

In  the  east,  Othman  was  proclaimed  sultan,  in  1299, 
and  founded  a  new  empire.  The  people  afterwards,  as 
well  as  the  emperor,  were  called  after  his  name.  The 
mixed  multitude,  of  which  his  people  was  composed, 
were  the  remains  of  four  sultanies  which  had  for  some 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap,4' 

lime  subsisted  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  river  Eu- 
phrates. Thus  the  four  angels,  which  were  bound  in 
Euphrates,  were  loosed,  and  under  the  name  of  Turks 
succeeded  the  Saracens  both  in  the  propagation  of  Ma- 
hometanism,  and  in  diffusing  the  horrors  of  war*  Pro- 
vidence had  destined  them  to  scourge  the  people  of  Eu- 
rope for  their  idolatry  and  flagitiousness;  and  Europe 
still  repented  not. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Eminent  Men. 

Arsenius,  bishop  of  Constantinople,  deserves  atten- 
tion. After  that  Constantinople  was  taken  by  the  French 
and  Venetians,  the  seat  of  the  Greek  empire  had  been 
transferred  to  Nice  in  Bithynia,  of  which  metropolis, 
under  the  reign  of  Theodorus  Lascaris,  Arsenius  was 
appointed  bishop.  He  was  renowned  for  piety  and  sim- 
plicity, and  had  lived  a  monastic  life  near  Apollonia. 
Theodorus,  a  little  before  his  death,  constituted  him  one 
of  the  guardians  of  his  son  John,  an  infant  in  the  sixth 
year  of  his  age.  But  the  integrity  and  virtue  of  the 
bishop  were  no  security  against  the  ambition  and  perfidy 
of  the  times.  Michael  Pateologus  usurped  the  sove- 
reignty; and  Arsenius  at  length,  with  reluctance,  over- 
powered by  the  influence  of  the  nobility,  consented  to 
place  the  diadem  on  his  head,  with  this  express  condition, 
that  he  should  resign  the  empire  to  the  royal  infant  when 
he  should  come  to  maturity. 

*  Rev.  ix. — Newton,  3cl  vol.  Prophecies,  page  116. 


Cent.  IS.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  93 

Arsenius,  after  he  had  made  this  concession,  had  the 
Wiortihcation  to  find  his  pupil  tieated  with  perfect  disre- 
gard; and,  probably,  repenting  of  what  he  had  done,  he 
retired  from  his  see  to  a  monastery.  Some  time  after, 
by  a  sudden  revohition,  Palreologus  recovered  Constanti- 
nople from  tlie  Latins;  but  amidst  all  his  successes  he 
found  it  necessary  to  his  reputation  to  recal  tiie  bishop, 
and  he  fixed  him  in  the  Metropolitan  see.  So  great 
was  the  ascendancy  of  the  character  of  a  virtuous  pre- 
late over  the  politics  of  an  unprincipled  usurper,  though 
covered  with  secular  glory!  Palfeologus,  however,  still 
dreaded  the  youth,  whom  he  had  so  deeply  injured,  and 
to  prevent  him  from  recovering  the  throne,  he  had  re- 
course to  the  barbarous  policy  of  putting  out  his  eyes. 
Arsenius  hearing  this,  excommunicated  the  emperor, 
who  then  made  some  pretences  of  repentance.  But  the 
bishop  refused  to  admit  him  into  the  church;  and  Palas- 
ologus  had  the  baseness  to  accuse  him  of  certain  crimes 
before  an  assembly  of  priests.  Arsenius  was  convened 
before  the  venal  assembly,  condemned  and  banished  to  a 
small  island  of  the  Propontis.  But,  conscious  of  his  in- 
tegrity, he  bore  his  suiferings  with  serenity  and  compo- 
sure, and,  requesting  that  an  account  might  be  taken  of 
the  treasures  of  the  church,  he  show^ed  that  three  pieces 
of  gold,  which  he  had  earned  by  transcribing  Psalms, 
were  the  whole  of  his  property.  This  same  emperor, 
who  had  the  meanness,  by  false  accusation,  to  expel  Ar- 
senius from  his  see,  still  confessed,  how  much  wicked- 
ness stands  in  awe  of  virtue,  by  soliciting  him  to  repeal 
his  ecclesiastical  censures.  The  deprived  prelate,  how- 
ever, who  never  had  been  fond  of  sacerdotal  dignity,  re- 
mained content  with  his  obscurity,  and,  to  his  last  breath, 


94  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CViap.  4. 

refused  the  request  of  the  usurper,  who  still  retained  the 
wages  of  his  iniquity.* 

Seval,  archbishop  of  York,  wrote  to  pope  Alexander 
IV.  against  his  violent  and  oppressive  conduct,  and  ex- 
horted him  to  follow  Peter, — to  feed,  not  to  devour,  the 
sheep  of  Christ.  The  particular  occasion  of  this  letter 
was,  that  the  pope  had  intruded  a  person  named  Jordan 
into  the  deanery  of  York.f  The  courage  and  integrity 
of  Seval,  enraged  the  pope,  who,  on  some  pretence,  ex- 
communicated liim:  he  still  however  persisted,  and  with- 
stood the  intrusion  of  unworthy  clergymen.  The  Ro- 
manists harassed  him  with  their  utmost  malevolence; 
but  he  was  honoured  by  the  people.  He  died  in  1258, 
in  the  fourth  year  of  his  archbishopric,  of  which  he  seems 
to  have  kept  possession  till  his  decease. 

William  de  St.  Amour,  doctor  of  the  Sorbonme,  and 
professor  of  divinity  in  the  university  of  Paris,  was  one 
of  the  greatest  ornaments  of  Christianity,  which  appear- 
ed in  the  Roman  communion  in  this  century.  He  had 
his  name  from  St.  Amour  in  Tranche  Compte,  the  place 
of  his  nativity.  The  mendicant  orders  seldom  met  with 
a  more  vigorous  and  able  adversary.  The  Dominicans 
in  particular  seemed  desirous  to  engross  all  the  power 
and  influence  of  the  university  to  themselves,  while  the 
doctors,  resisting  their  unjust  encroachments,  excluded 
them  from  their  society.  In  the  year  1255,  the  debate 
was  brought  before  pope  Alexander  IV.  who,  with  in- 
tolerable arrogance,  ordered  the  university  not  only  to 
restore  the  Dominicans  to  their  former  station,  but  also 
to  grant  them  as  many  professorships,  as  they  should  re- 
quire. 

The  doctors  of  the  university  of  Paris  now  loudly 

*  Cent.  Magd.  461.    Nicephones.  f  Cent.  Magd.  xiii.  p.  550. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  95 

joined  in  the  cry  of  the  secular  clergy  against  the  inva- 
sions of  the  mendicants;  and  indeed  the  papal  power  at 
this  time  ruled  with  absolute  dominion.  No  pastor  of  a 
church  couid  maintain  any  due  authority  over  the  laity, 
if  a  Franciscan  or  Dominican  appeared  in  his  parish,  to 
sell  indulgences,  and  to  receive  confessions;  and  the 
most  learned  body  of  nien  at  that  time  in  Europe,  were 
now  subject  to  the  government  of  those  agents  of  pope- 
dom. The  magi-trates  of  Paris,  at  first,  were  disposed 
to  protect  the  university;  but  the  terror  of  the  papal 
edicts  reduced  them  at  length  to  silence;  and  not  only 
the  Dominicans,  but  also  the  Franciscans,  assumed  what- 
ever power  they  pleased  in  that  famous  seminary,  and 
knew  no  other  restrictions,  except  what  the  Roman 
tyrant  imposed  upon  them. 

The  genius  and  spirit  of  St.  Amour  were  remarkably 
distinguished  in  this  controversy.  He  wrote  several 
treatises  against  the  mendicant  orders,  and  particularly  a 
book  published  in  the  year  1255,  concerning  the  perils 
of  the  latter  days.  Persuaded  as  he  w^as,  that  St.  Paul's 
prophecy  of  the  latter  times*  was  fulfilling  in  the  abomi- 
nations of  the  friars,  he  laid  down  thirty-nine  marks  of 
false  teachers. 

A  few  years  before  the  unrighteous  decision  of  the 
pope  in  favour  of  the  friars,  a  fanatical  book,  under  the 
title  of  "  Introduction  to  the  Everlasting  Gospel,^'  was 
published  by  a  Franciscan,  which,  by  exalting  Francis 
above  Jesus  Christ,  and  arrogating  to  his  order  the  glory 
of  reforming  mankind  by  a  new  gospel  substituted  in  the 
room  of  that  of  Christ,  attempted  to  exalt  that  mendicant 
tribe  to  the  height  of  divine  estin)ation  in  the  eyes  of 
mankind.     The  universal  ferment  excited  by  this  im- 

*  2  Tim.  iii.  1. 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  4. 

pious  book,  obliged  Alexander  IV.  to  suppress  it  in  the 
year  1255,  and  he  ordered  it  to  be  burnt  in  secret  wil- 
ling to  spare  the  reputation  of  the  mendicants.  But  the 
university  of  Paris,  which,  in  the  same  year,  received 
that  grievous  injury  fi-om  the  pontiff,  which  has  been 
mentioned,  insisted  upon  a  public  condemnation  of  the 
book,  and  Alexander,  mighty  as  he  was  in  power,  was 
constrained,  for  once,  to  give  way  to  the  feelings  of  man- 
kind; and  he  publicly  committed  the  Franciscan's  per- 
formance to  the  flames.  The  next  year,  however,  he 
revenged  himself  on  St.  Amour,  by  ordering  his  book  on 
the  perils  of  the  latter  days  to  be  also  committed  to  the 
flames,  and  by  banishing  him  out  of  France. 

John  Scot,  bishop  of  Dunkeid,  died  in  the  year  1202. 
He  was  an  Englishman,  who  had  been  archdeacon  of 
St.  Andrews,  and  thence  was  preferred  to  this  see.*  He 
was  conspicuous  in  that  corrupt  age  for  pastoral  vigilance 
and  a  conscientious  conduct.  The  county  of  Argyle 
was  part  of  his  diocese,  and,  in  that  county,  the  people 
understood  only  the  Irish  tongue.  Scot,  unwilling  to 
receive  emoluments  from  a  people,  whose  souls  he  could 
not  edify,  wrote  to  Pope  Clement  III.  desiring  him  to 
constitute  Argyle  a  separate  see,  and  to  confer  the 
bishopric  on  Evaldus  his  chaplain,  who  was  well  qualified 
for  the  purpose,  and  could  speak  Irish.  "  How,"  says 
he,  "  can  I  give  a  comfortable  account  to  the  Judge  of 
the  world  at  the  last  day,  if  I  pretend  to  teach  ihose,  who 
cannot  understand  me?  The  revenues  suffice  for  two 
bishops,  if  we  are  content  with  a  competency,  and  are 
not  prodigal  of  the  patrimony  of  Christ.  It  is  better  to 
lessen  the  charge,  and  increase  the  number  of  labourers 
in  the  Lord's  vineyard."  His  whole  request  was  granted, 

*  Collier,  vol.  i.  page  411. 


Cent.  15.'}  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  97 

but  the  election  appears  not  to  have  been  made  till  the 
year  1200.  Clement  the  TJiird  died  in  1191.  Senti- 
ments such  as  these  would  have  done  honour  to  the 
purest  ages  It  seemed  worth  while  to  give  some  illus- 
tration to  the  opinion  of  the  Waldenses,  "  who  professed 
that  there  were  pious  men,  who  lived  in  Babylon;"  and 
John  Scot  deserves  to  be  regarded  as  a  practical  teacher 
of  bishops  and  pastors  in  all  ages. 

Francis  and  Dominic,  the  founders  of  the  two  orders 
of  friars  so  distinguished  in  this  century,  were  eminent, 
but  for  superstition.  Francis  was  born  at  Assisium,  in 
the  ecclesiastical  state,  and  was  disinherited  by  his  father, 
who  was  disgusted  at  his  enthusiasm.  In  1209,*  he 
founded  his  order,  which  was  but  too  successful  in  the 
world.  His  practices  of  devotion  were  monstrous,  and 
he  seems  ever  to  have  been  the  prey  of  a  whimsical 
imagination.  Pride  and  deceit  are  not  uncommonly  con- 
nected with  a  temper  like  his,  and  he  gave  a  memorable 
instance  of  both.  It  is  certain  that  he  was  impressed 
with  five  wounds  on  his  body  resembling  the  wounds  of 
Christ  crucified.  It  is  certain  also,  that  he  pretended 
to  have  received  the  impressions  as  a  miraculous  favour 
from  heaven.  Francis  sought  for  glory  among  men  by 
his  follies  and  absurdities,  and  he  found  the  genius  of  the 
age  so  adapted  to  his  own,  that  he  gained  immense  ad- 
miration and  applause.  He  died  in  1226,  in  the  forty- 
fifth  year  of  his  age.f  Posterity  saw  his  order  splendid 
in  secular  greatness,  though  under  the  mask  of  poverty; 
and  we  have  already  recounted  the  dreams  of  one  of  his 
disciples,  who  was  no  mean  imitator  of  his  master.| 

*  Alban  Butler.  f  Alban  Butler,  vol.  x. — Cave,  vol.  i.  page  704. 

^  Viz.  the  author  of  "Introduction  to  the  Everlasting  Gospel."  See  the 
bottom  of  p.  95. 

Vol.  II.  N 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

Dominic  was  a  Spaniard,  born  in  the  year  1170.  In 
fictitious  miracles  and  monstrous  austerities,  he  resem- 
bled Francis.*  He  seems  to  have  shown  no  one  evidence 
of  genuine  humility,  or  of  evangelical  piety.  In  religious 
pride  he  lived;  and,  it  is  much  to  be  feared,  he  died  in 
the  same  temper  and  in  the  greatest  ignorance.  For  in 
his  last  hours  he  promised  his  brethren,  that  he  would 
never  forget  them,  when  he  was  gone  to  God.  To 
Dominic  belongs  the  glory  of  completing  the  scheme  of 
mechanical  devotion.  He  directed  men  to  recite  fifteen 
decads  of  Hail  Mary,  &c.  and  one  pater-noster  before 
each  decad.  Thus  men  were  taught  to  repeat  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  times  the  angel's  salutation  of  the  Virgin, 
interlarded  with  a  number  of  pater-nosters,  and  to  believe 
that  this  practice  would  be  as  acceptable  as  the  recital 
of  the  hundred  and  fifty  Psalms.  I  suppose  very  zealous 
devotees  would  go  through  all  this  work  at  one  time: 
perhaps  others,  less  laborious,  might  perform  it  at  suc- 
cessive intervals. — But  is  this  the  spirit  of  grace  and 
supplication^  promised  to  the  Christian  church  .'^  Is  this 
the  spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  men  cry  Abba,  Father.-^ 
What  is  it  but  the  spirit  of  bondage  and  miserable  super- 
stition, the  religion  of  the  lips,  a  self-righteous  drudgery 
of  so  much  devotional  work,  with  a  view  to  purchase  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  to  ease  the  consciences  of  men, 
who  lived  without  either  understanding  the  doctrines,  or 
practising  the  precepts  of  Scripture.^  Observe  hence, 
with  how  much  propriety  the  Waldenses,  as  we  have 
seen,  taught  men  the  true  nature  of  prayer;  and,  what  a 
dreadful  vacuum  of  all  true  piety  was  now  the  portion  of 
nominal  Christians,  who  had  departed  from  the  grace  of 
Christ  Jesus! 

*  Butler,  vol.  viii,  f  Zech,  xii.  10. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  99 

This  ccntuiy  saw  also  a  pope,  who  deserves  to  be 
cominemoratcd  in  the  annals  of  the  church  of  Christ. 
Peter  Celestine*  was  born  in  Apulia,  about  tlie  year 
1215,  and  lived  as  a  hermit  in  a  little  cell.  He  was  ad- 
mitted into  holy  orders;  but  after  that,  he  lived  five  years 
in  a  cave  on  Mount  Morroni,  near  Suhnona.  He  was 
molested  with  internal  temptations,  which  his  confessor 
told  him  were  a  stratagem  of  the  enemy,  that  would  not 
hurt  him,  if  he  despised  it.  He  founded  a  ;nonastery  at 
Mount  Morroni,  in  1274.  Tiie  see  of  Rome  having 
been  vacant  two  years  and  three  months,  Celestine  was 
unanimously  chosen  pope  on  account  of  the  fame  of  his 
sanctity.  The  archbishop  of  Lyons.f  presenting  him 
with  the  instrument  of  his  election,  conjured  him  to  sub- 
mit to  the  vocation.  Peter,  in  astonishment,  prostrated 
himself  on  the  ground;  and,  after  he  had  continued  in 
prayer  a  considerable  time,  he  rose  up,  and  fearing  to 
oppose  the  will  of  God,  he  consented  to  his  election,  and 
took  the  name  of  Celestine  V. 

Siiice  the  days  of  the  first  Gregory,  no  pope  had  ever 
assumed  the  pontifical  dignity  with  m.ore  purity  of  inten- 
tion. But  he  had  not  Gregory's  talents  for  business  and 
government;  and  the  Roman  see  was  immensely  more 
corrupt  in  the  thirteenth  than  it  was  in  the  sixth  century. 
— Celestine  soon  became  sensible  of  his  incapacity:  he 
was  lost,  as  in  a  wilderness.  He  attempted  to  reform 
abuses,  to  retrench  the  luxury  of  the  clergy,  to  do,  in 
short,  what  he  found  totally  impracticable. 

He  committed  mistakes,  and  exposed  himself  to  the 
ridicule  of  the  scornful.  His  conscience  was  kept  on 
the  rack  through  a  variety  of  scruples,  from  which  he 
could  not  extricate  himself;  and,  from  his  ignorance  of 

•  Butler,  Vol.  V.  f  Vertot's  Knights  of  Malta,  "\'ol.  11. 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

the  world,  and  of  canon-law,  he  began  to  think  he  had 
done  wrong  in  accepting  the  office.  He  sjient  much  of 
his  time  in  retirement:  nor  was  he  easy  there,  because 
hiig  conscience  told  him,  that  he  ought  to  be  discharging 
the  pastoral  office.  Overcome  witii  anxiety,  he  asked 
cardinal  Cajetan,  whether  he  might  not  abdicate?  It 
was  answered,  yes.  Celestine  gladly  embraced  the  op- 
portunity of  assuming  again  the  character  of  brother  Pe- 
ter, after  he  had  been  distressed  with  the  phantom  of 
dignity  for  four  or  five  months.  He  abdicated  in  1294. 
The  last  act  of  his  pontificate  was  wortiiy  of  the  sincerity 
of  his  character.  He  made  a  constitution,  that  the  pon- 
tiff might  be  allowed  to  abdicate,  if  he  pleased.* — It  is 
remarkable,  that  no  pope,  since  that  time,  has  taken  the 
benefit  of  this  constitution. 

That  same  Cajetan,  who  had,  in  effect,  encouraged 
his  resignation,  contrived  to  be  elected  his  successor,  and 
took  tlie  name  of  Boniface  VIII. 

Grosseteste,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  was  an  active,  zealous 
man,  who  laboured  hard  to  reform  abuses  and  to  instruct 
the  people,  but  who  was  evidently  in  the  dark.  He  saw 
the  gross  ignorance  and  dissolute  manners  of  the  secular 
clergy,  and  endeavoured  to  correct  them,  but  the  hypo- 
crisy of  the  Dominicans  and  Franciscans  escaped  his 
penetration. 

Such  were  the  methods  by  which  the  prince  of  dark- 
ness seems  to  have  prolonged  the  reign  of  Antichrist. 
The  orders  of  ancient  times,  having  filled  up  their  sea- 
son in  supporting  the  man  of  sin  by  a  specious  appear- 
ance of  holiness,  when  this  was  gone,  other  orders  arose, 
who  undertook  the  same  task,  and  defended  the  system 
of  iniquity  by  a  severer  course  of  life  and  manners. 

*  Platina. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIS  1'.  101 

The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  rehgion  is  diversified 
with  an  endless  variety  of  operations.  Tlie  instance  be- 
fore us  deserves  attention.  The  holy  soul  of  Robert 
Grosseteste,  which  was  favoured  with  so  much  discern- 
ment, as  just  to  understand  and  receive  the  essentials  of 
godliness,  and  no  more,  could  not  endure  with  patience 
the  manifold  corruptions  of  the  times.  He  took  pains  in 
his  diocese  to  reform  various  gross  abuses,  among  which 
was  the  practice  of  clergymen  acting  plays,  and  main- 
tainins;  connexion  with  Jews.  The  friars  were  still  his 
favourites:  and  he  rebuked  the  rectors  and  vicars  of  his 
diocese,  because  they  neglected  to  hear  them  preach, 
and  because  they  discouraged  the  people  from  attending 
and  confessing  to  them.  His  devoted  attachment  to  the 
popedom  appears  hence  in  a  striking  light,  and  still  more 
so  in  some  other  transactions,  which  it  is  not  necessary 
to  particularize.  He  continued  to  patronize  the  friars. 
These  were  his  most  intimate  companions:  with  these  he 
used  to  hold  conferences  on  the  Scriptures;  and  at  one 
time  he  had  thoughts  of  entering  into  the  Franciscan 
order  himself  But  however  defective  he  was  in  doc- 
trine, he  was  exceedingly  strict  in  his  views  of  morality: 
and,  like  all  reformers  of  the  merely  active  class  who 
labour  to  promote  external  good  conduct,  witii  low  and 
inadequate  ideas  of  Christian  principle,  he  excited  great 
offence  and  disgust,  and  produced  very  little  solid  benefit 
to  mankind. 

Events,  however,  occurred,  which  in  some  measure 
unfolded  to  the  eyes  of  the  bishop  the  real  character  of 
the  friars.  In  1247,  two  English  Franciscans  were  sent 
into  England  with  credentials  to  extort  money  for  the 
pope.  They  applied  to  the  prelates  and  abbots,  but 
seem,  at  this  time  at  least,  to  have  met  with  little  sue- 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

cess.  Grossetcste  was  amazed  at  the  insolence  and  pom- 
pous appearance  of  the  friars,  who  assured  him  that  they 
had  the  pope's  bull,  and  who  earnestly  demanded  six 
thousand  marks  for  the  contribution  of  the  diocese  of 
Lincoln:  "Friars,"'  answered  he,  "with  all  reverence  to 
his  holiness  be  it  spoken,  the  demand  is  as  dishonoura- 
ble, as  it  is  impracticable.  The  whole  body  of  the  clergy 
and  people  are  concerned  in  it  equally  with  me.  For 
me  then  to  give  a  definite  answer  in  an  instant  to  such 
a  demand,  before  the  sense  of  the  kingdom  is  taken  upon 
it,  would  be  rash  and  absurd."  The  native  good  sense 
of  tlie  bishop  suggested  this  answer;  but  the  true  Anti- 
christian  character  of  the  pope  was  as  yet  unknown  to 
Grosseteste. — The  blood  of  our  Saviour  was  about  the 
same  time  pretended  to  be  brougiit  into  England,  and  he 
had  the  weakness  to  vindicate  the  delusion. 

The  bishop  continued  still  to  exert  himself  with  the 
most  upright  intentions  for  the  good  of  the  cliurch.  But, 
it  was  his  usual  infelicity  to  "labour  in  the  fire  for  very 
vanity,"*  because  lie  had  no  distinct  perception  of  the 
fundamental  truths  of  Christianity.  The  value  of  solid 
and  perspicuous  views  of  evangelical  truth  was  never 
more  forcibly  exhibited  than  in  tliis  case.  Most  bishops 
or  pastors,  who  have  been  possessed  of  this  advantage, 
though  inferior  to  Grosseteste  in  magnanimity,  industry, 
and  activity,  have  yet,  if  truly  pious,  far  exceeded  him  in 
promoting  the  real  good  of  the  church. 

In  1248,  he  obtained,  at  a  great  expense,  from  Inno- 
cent IV.  letters  to  empower  him  to  reform  the  religious 
orders.  If  lie  had  understood  at  that  time  the  real  cha- 
racter of  Antichrist,  he  would  have  foreseen  the  vanity  of 
all  attempts  to  reform  the  church,  which  were  grounded 

*  Habak.  ii.  13. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  103 

on  papal  authority.  The  rectitude  however  of  his  own 
mind  was  strikin«;ly  apparent  in  the  transaction.  He 
saw  with  grief  the  waste  of  large  revenues  niade  by  the 
monastic  orders,  and  being  supported  by  the  pope,  as  he 
thought,  he  determined  to  take  into  his  own  hand  the 
rents  of  the  religious  houses,  most  probably  with  a  de- 
sign to  institute  and  ordain  vicarages  in  his  diocese,  and 
to  provide  for  the  more  general  instruction  of  the  people. 
But  the  monks  appealed  to  the  pope;  and  Grosseteste,  in 
his  old  age,  was  obliged  to  travel  to  Lyons,  where  Inno- 
cent resided.  Roman  venahty  was  now  at  its  height, 
the  pope  dcteimined  the  cause  against  the  bishop. 
Grieved  and  astonished  at  so  unexpected  a  decision, 
Grosseteste  said  to  Innocent,  "  I  relied  on  your  letters 
and  promises,  but  am  entirely  disappointed."  What  is 
that  to  you,  answered  the  pope,  you  have  done  your  part, 
and  we  tsre  disposed  to  favour  them:  is  your  eye  evil,  be- 
cause I  am  good?  With  such  shameless  effrontery  can 
wicked  men  trifle  with  scriptural  passages.  The  bishop, 
in  a  low  tone,  but  so  as  to  be  heard,  said  with  indignation, 
0  money,  how  great  is  thy  power,  especially  at  the  court 
of  Rome!  The  remaik  was  bold  and  indiarnant,  but 
perfectly  just.  It  behoved  Innocent  to  give  some  an- 
swer; and  he  used  the  common  method  of  wicked  men 
in  such  cases,  namely,  to  retort  the  accusation.  "  You 
English,"  said  he,  "  are  always  grinding  and  impoverish- 
ing one  another.  How  many  religious  men,  persons  of 
prayer  and  hospitality,  are  you  striving  to  depress, -that 
you  may  sacrifice  to  your  own  tyranny  and  avarice!" — 
So  spake  the  most  unprincipled  of  robbers  to  a  bishop, 
whose  unspotted  integrity  was  allowed  by  all  the  world. 

All  that  the  bishop  could  do  Vvas  to  leave  his  testimony 
at  the  court  of  Rome;  and  he  delivered  three  copies  of  a 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  lCh(q).4. 

long  sermon,  one  copy  to  the  pope,  tlie  other  two  copies 
to  two  of  the  cardinals.  In  this  discourse  he  sharply  en- 
veighs  against  the  flagitious  practices  of  the  court  ofRome, 
particularly  the  appropriation  of  churches  to  religious 
houses,  the  appeals  of  the  religious  to  the  pope,  and  the 
scandalous  clause  in  the  bulls  of  non  obstante,  which  was 
the  great  engine  of  the  pope's  dispensing  power.  He 
observes,  that  the  Son  of  God  submitted  to  a  most  igno- 
minious death  for  the  redemption  of  human  souls,  which, 
without  mercy,  were  delivered  to  wolves  and  bears.  His 
uprightness  and  magnanimity  were  evidenced  by  this 
step,  but  no  good  effect  appeared.  To  explain  and  en- 
force the  doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  and  to  prove  the  whole 
structure  of  the  papacy  perfectly  inconsistent  with  those 
doctrines,  would  have  been  a  far  m,ore  likely  method  of 
promoting  the  edification  of  the  church;  but  to  this  task 
the  light  and  knowledge  of  the  bishop  were  unequal.  He 
was  for  some  time  so  dejected  with  the  disappointment 
which  he  had  met  with,  that  he  formed  intentions  of  re- 
signing his  bishopric.  But,  recollecting  what  ravages  of 
the  church  might  be  the  consequence  of  such  a  step,  he 
felt  it  his  duty  to  remain  in  his  office,  and  to  do  all  the 
good,  which  the  infelicity  of  the  times  would  permit. 

The  bishop  often  preached  to  the  people  in  the  course 
of  his  perambulation  through  his  diocese;  and  he  required 
the  neighbouring  clergy  to  attend  the  sermons.  He  ear- 
nestly exhorted  them  to  be  laborious  in  ministering  to 
their  flocks:  and  the  lazy  Italians,  who,  by  virtue  of  the 
pope's  letters,  had  been  intruded  into  opulent  benefices, 
and  who  neither  understood  the  language  of  the  people, 
nor  wished  to  instruct  them,  were  the  objects  of  his  de- 
testation. He  would  often  with  indignation  cast  the 
papal  bulls  out  of  his  hands,  and  absolutely  refuse  to 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  105 

comply  with  them,  saying,  that  he  should  be  the  friend  of 
Satan,  if  he  should  commit  the  care  of  souls  to  foreign- 
eis.  Innocent,  however,  persisting  in  his  plan,  peremp- 
torily ordered  him  to  admit  an  Italian,  perfectly  ignorant 
of  the  English  language,  to  a  very  rich  benetice  in  the 
diocese  of  Lincoln,  and  Grosseteste,  refusing  to  obey, 
was  suspended.  Whether  the  sentence  of  suspension 
was  formally  repealed,  or  not,  does  not  appear.  Certain 
it  is,  that  the  bishop  continued  to  exercise  his  episcopal 

functions. 

In  January,  1253,  Innocent  was  desirous  of  preferring 
his  nephew,  an  Italian  youtb,  in  the  cathedral  of  Lincoln: 
and  for  this  purpose,  he,  by  letter,  directed  the  bishop  of 
the  diocese  to  give  him  the  first  canonry  that  should 
be  vacant.     This  was  to  be  done  by  proinsxon;  for  that 
was  the  decent  term  employed  by  the  pontiff  when  he 
undertook  to  provide  a  successor  to  a  benefice  before- 
hand, under  pretence  of  correcting  the  abuse  of  long  va- 
cancies.    Innocent  seems  to  have  been  determined  in 
this  instance  to  intimidate  the  bishop  into  submission. 
He  declared,   that  any  other  disposal  of  the  canonry 
should  be  null  and  void;  and  that  he  would  excommuni- 
cate every  one  who  should  dare  to  disobey  his  injunction. 
He  wrote  to  two  Italians,  his  agents  in  England,  order- 
ing them  to  ensure  and  complete  the  appointment,  with 
his  usual  clause  of  non  obstante;  a  clause  pregnant  with 
the  most  intolerable  abuses;  for  it  set  aside  all  statutes 
and  customs,  and  obliged  them  to  give  way  to  the  present 
humour  of  the  pope.* 

Grosseteste,  resolute  in  his  disobedience,  wrote  an 
epistle  on  this  occasion,  which  has  made  his  name  im- 
mortal.    As  he  advanced  in  years,  he  saw  more  clearly 

*  Fascic.  rer.  Vol.  II.  399. 
Vol.  II.  0 


106  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

the  corruptions  of  the  popedom,  which,  however,  he  still 
looked  on  as  of  divine  authority.     But  if  we  set  aside 
this  remnant  of  the  prejudices  of  education,  he  argues 
altogether  on  Protestant  principles.     Some  extracts  of 
the  epistle  may  deserve  the  readers  attention.*     "  I  am 
not  disobedient  to  the  Apostolical  precepts. — I  am  bound 
by  the  divine   command  to   obey  them.     Our  Saviour 
Christ  saith,  whosoever  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me. — 
Our  lord  the  pope  appears  to  be  his  type  and  representa- 
tive.    It  is  impossible  then  that  the  sanctity  of  the  apos- 
tolical See  can  be  repugnant  to  the  authority  of  Jesus 
Christ.     The  7wn  obstante  clause  overflows  with  uncer- 
tainty, fraud,  and  deceit,  and  strikes  at  the  root  of  all 
confidence  between  man  and  man.     Next  to  the  sin  of 
Antichrist,  which  shall  be  m  the  latter  time,  nothing  can 
be  more  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  than  to  de- 
stroy men's  souls,  by  defrauding  them  of  the  benefit  of 
the  pastoral  office.     Those,  who  serve  their  own  carnal 
desires  by  means  of  the  milk  and  pool  of  the  sheep  of 
Christ,  and  do  not  minister  the  pastoral  office  to  the  sal- 
vation of  the  Hock,  are  guilty  of  destroying  souls.     Two 
enormous  evils  are  in  this  way  committed.     In  one  re- 
spect they  sin  directly  against  God  himself,  who  is  essen- 
tially good;  in  another  against  the  image  of  God  in  man, 
which,  by  the  reception  of  grace,  is  partaker  of  the  di- 
vine nature. — For  the  holy  apostolical  See  to  be  acces- 
sory to  so  great  wickedness,  would  be  a  horrible  abuse 
of  the  fulnesss  of  power,  an  entiie  separation  from  the 
glorious  kingdom  of  Christ,  and  a  proximity  to  the  two 
princes  of  darkness. f    No  man,  faithful  to  the  said  See, 
can,  with  an  unspotted  conscience,  obey  such  mandates, 

*  See  Fox,  Vol.  I.  p.  365.  and  M.  Fans,  p.  870.    Fascic.  rer.  Vol.  II.  400. 
t  He  seems  to  mean  the  Devil  and  Antichrist. 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  107 

even  if  they  were  seconded  by  the  high  order  of  angels 
themselves;  on  the  contrary,  every  faithful  Christian 
ought  to  oppose  tlieni  with  all  his  might.  It  is  therefore 
in  perfect  consistence  with  my  duty  of  obedience,  that  I 
withstand  these  enormities,  so  abominable  to  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  so  repugnant  to  the  holiness  of  the  apos- 
tolical See,  and  so  contrary  to  the  unity  of  the  Catholic 
faith.  I  say  then,  this  Sec  cannot  act  but  to  edification; 
but  your  provisions  are  to  destruction.  The  holy  See 
neither  can  nor  ought  to  attempt  any  such  tiling:  for  flesh 
and  blood,  and  not  the  Heavenly  Father,  hath  revealed 
such  doctrines." 

Innocent,  on  receiving  the  positive  denial,  accom- 
panied with  such  warm  remonstrances,  was  incensed  be- 
yond measure:  and  "Who,"  said  he,  "  is  this  old  dotard, 
who  dares  to  judge  my  actions.'*  By  Peter  and  Paul,  if 
I  were  not  restrained  by  my  generosity,  I  would  make 
him  an  example  and  a  spectacle  to  all  mankind.  Is  not 
the  king  of  England  my  vassal,  and  my  slave.-^  and,  if  I 
gave  the  word,  would  he  not  throw  him  into  prison,  and 
load  him  with  infamy  and  disgrace?"  In  so  low  a  light 
did  the  bishop  of  Rome  behold  the  monarch  of  Eng- 
land! But  king  John  had  reduced  his  kingdom  into  a 
state  of  subjection  to  the  pope;  and  the  same  vassalage 
continued  all  the  days  of  his  pusillanimous  successor. 
The  cardinals,  however,  who  saw  the  danger  which  the 
pope  incurred  by  his  arrogance  and  temerity,  endeavour- 
ed to  moderate  his  resentment.  Giles,  in  particular,  a 
Spanish  cardinal,  said,*'  "  It  is  not  expedient  for  you  to 
proceed  against  the  bishop  in  that  violent  manner.  For 
what  he  saith  is  certainly  true,  nor  can  we  with  decency 
condemn  him.     He  is  a  holy  man,  more  so  than  we  our- 

*  Fox-,  Vol.  I.  p.  366.     Pegge,  p.  248. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

selves  are;  a  man  of  excellent  genius,  and  of  the  best 
morals;  no  prelate  in  -Christendom  is  thought  to  excel 
him.  By  this  time,  it  is  possible,  that  the  truths  express- 
ed in  this  epistle  are  divulged  among  many;  and  they  will 
stir  up  numbers  against  us.  The  clergy,  both  of  France 
and  England,  know  the  character  of  the  man,  nor  is  it 
possible  to  cast  any  stigma  upon  him.  He  is  believed  to 
be  a  great  philosopher,  an  accomplished  scholar  in  Latin 
and  Greek  literature,  zealous  in  the  administration  of 
justice,  a  reader  of  theology  in  the  schools,  a  popu- 
lar preacher,  a  lover  of  chastity,  and  an  enemy  of 
simony."  Others  joined  with  Giles  in  the  same  senti- 
ments. On  the  whole,  the  cardinals  advised  the  pope  to 
cotu)ive  at  these  transactions,  lest  some  tumult  might 
arise  in  the  church,  for  they  said,  it  was  an  evident  truth, 
that  a  revolt  from  the  ciiurch  of  Rome  would  one  day 
take  place  in  Christendom.  It  seems  there  were  even 
then  some  discerning  spirits,  who  could  foresee,  that  so 
unrighteous  a  domination  would  in  time  be  brought  to  a 
close.  Yet  the  prevalence  of  ambition  and  avarice  in- 
duced them  to  support  their  domination,  though  they 
were  convinced  of  its  iniquity. 

But  the  fury  of  Innocent  was  not  to  be  allayed.  He 
pronounced  the  sentence  of  excommunication  against 
Grosseteste;  and  nominated  Albert,  one  of  his  nuncios, 
to  the  bishopric  of  Lincoln.  The  bishop  appealed  to  the 
tribimal  of  Christ,  and  paid  no  regard  to  the  decree. 
What  the  cardinals  foresaw,  came  to  pass;  the  pope^s 
commands  were  universally  neglected;  and  the  bishop 
continued  in  quiet  possession  of  his  dignity. 

In  the  latter  end  of  the  summer  of  the  same  year,  1253, 
he  was  seized  with  a  mortal  disease  at  his  palace  at  Buck- 
den;  and  he  sent  for  friar  John  de  St.  Giles,  to  converse 


Cent.  13.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  109 

with  him  on  the  state  of  the  church.  He  blamed  Giles 
and  his  brethren  the  Dominicans,  and  also  the  Francis- 
cans, because,  tliough  their  orders  were  founded  in  vo- 
luntary poverty,  they  did  not  rebuke  the  vices  of  the 
great.  "I  am  convinced,"  said  he,  "that  both  the  pope, 
unless  he  amend  his  errors,  and  the  friars,  except  they 
endeavour  to  restrain  him,  will  be  deservedly  exposed  to 
everlasting  death." 

The  following  abridgment  of  part  of  one  of  the  ser- 
mons by  this  intrepid  man,  shows  that  he  was  by  no 
means  ignorant  of  that  which  is  essential  to  salvation. 
"Poverty  in  spirit  is  wrought  in  the  heart  of  the  elect  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Its  foundation,  he  tells  us,  is  laid  in 
real  humility,  which  disposes  a  man  to  feel,  that  he  has 
nothing,  except  what  he  has  received  from  above.  But 
this  is  not  all;  for  humility  in  this  view  belonged  to  Adam 
before  he  fell.  But  the  humility  of  a  sinner  has  a  still 
deeper  root.  The  humble  man  not  only  sees  that  he 
has  nothing  in  himself,  but  he  is  also  stripped  of  all  desire 
to  possess  in  himself  the  springs  of  self-exaltation.  Con- 
demned in  himself,  and  corrupt  before  Ood,  he  despairs 
of  help  from  his  own  powers,  and  in  seeking  he  finds 
HIM,  who  is  the  true  life,  wisdom,  and  health,  who  is 
all  in  all,  even  the  Incarnate  Son  of  God,  who  descended 
into  our  vale  of  sin  and  misery,  that  he  might  raise  us 
from  their  depths.  By  leaning  on  him  alone,  every  true 
Christian  rises  into  true  life,  and  peace  and  joy.  He 
lives  in  fiis  life,  he  sees  light  in  his  light,  he  is  invigorated 
with  his  warmth,  and  he  grows  in  his  strength,  and  lean- 
ing upon  the  Beloved,  his  soul  ascends  upwards.  The 
lower  he  sinks  in  humility,  the  higher  he  rises  toward 
God.  He  is  sensible  that  he  not  only  is  nothing  in  him- 
self, but  that  he  has  also  lost  what  he  had  gratuitously 


110  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.4, 

received,  has  precipitated  himself  into  misery,  and  so  sub- 
jected himself  to  the  slavery  of  the  devil;  and  lastly,  that 
he  has  no  internal  resources  for  recovery.  Thus  he  is 
induced  to  place  his  whole  dependance  on  the  Lord;  to 
abhor  himself,  and  always  to  prefer  others,  and  ''  to  take 
the  lowest  seat"  as  his  own  proper  place. — The  humble 
soul  is  called  on  by  our  author,  solicitously  to  examine 
himself,  whether  he  really  demonstrates  in  his  tempers 
and  practice  this  grace  of  huuiility;  and  to  beware  lest, 
even  if  he  do  find  some  evidences  of  it  in  his  soul,  he  be 
inflated  with  the  discovery,  because  he  ought  to  know,  that 
it  is  from  the  Lord  alone  that  he  is  what  he  is;  and  that 
he  ought  no  more  to  boast  of  himself  than  the  shining  co- 
lours in  the  glass  should  glory  in  that  splendour,  which 
they  derive  entirely  from  the  solar  rays.  He  observes, 
that  the  temptations  to  self-complacency  are  the  effect  of 
Satanic  injections;  and  that  it  behoves  him,  who  would 
be  found  unfeignedly  humble,  to  see  whether  he  has  the 
genuine  marks  of  humility  in  practice;  whether,  for  in- 
stance, he  can  bear  to  be  rebuked  by  an  inferior,  whe- 
ther he  is  not  rendered  insolent  by  honours,  whether  he  is 
not  inflated  by  praise,  whether  anions;  equals  he  is  the 
first  to  labour,  and  the  last  to  exalt  himself,  whether  he 
can  render  blessings  for  curses,  and  good  for  evil.  By 
such  methods  of  self-examination  he  is  to  check  the  ebul- 
litions of  vain-glory,  with  which  the  tempter  is  apt  to  in- 
.  spire  those,  who  seem  to  have  made  some  proficiency  in 
grace.  If  that  proficiency  be  real,  let  them  take  care 
never  to  conceive  of  it  as  something  separate  from 
Christ:  he  alone  dw^elling  in  them  by  his  Spirit  produces 
all  that  is  good,  and  to  him  alone  the  praise  belongs.^' 

Thomas  Aquinas,  called  the  angelical  doctor,  filled  the 
Christian  world  in  this  century  with  the  renown  of  his 


Cenf.  IS.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  m 

name.     He  was  a  Dominican,  who,  by  his  comments  on 
four  books  of  Peter  Lombard,  master  of  the  sentences, 
and,  particularly,  by  his  expositions  of  Aristotle,  made 
himself  more  famous  than  n)ost  men  of  that  time,  on  ac- 
count of  his  skill  in  scliolnstic  divinity.     His  penetration 
and  genius  were  of  (he  first  order;  but  he  excelled  in 
that  subtile  and  abstruse  kind  of  learning  only,  which 
was  better  calculated  to  strike  the  imagination,  than  to 
improve  the  understanding.    He  maintained  what  is  com- 
monly called  the  doctrine  of  free-will,  ihou^h  he  largely 
quoted  Augustine,  and  retailed  many  of  his  pious  and 
devotional    sentiments.     His  Aristotelian  subtilties  ena- 
bled him  to  give  a  specious  colour  to  the  absurd  doctrine 
of  transubstantiation,  which  in  him  found  a  vehement  de- 
fender.    The  new  festival  of  the  body  of  Christ  was,  by 
this  divine,    adorned   with    an    idolatrous    ritual,  which 
strengthened  the  fashionable  superstitions.     He  was  the 
great  supporter  of  the  doctrine  of  supererogation,  which, 
at  the  same  time  that  it  established  the  most  pernicious 
views  of  self-righteousness,  by  leaving  the  disposal  of  the 
superfluous  treasure  of  the  merits  of  saints  to  the  discre- 
tion of  the  papal  see,  added  one  strong  link  to  the  chain, 
which   dragged  the  nations  into  ecclesiastical  slavery. 
Nor  were  his  voluminous  writings  much  calculated  to  in- 
struct mankind.     For  he  supposed,  that  whatever  sense 
any  passage  of  Scripture  could  possibly  admit,  in  gram- 
matical construction,  it  was  the  real  sense  intended  by 
the  Holy  Spirit:  whence  tiie  imaginations  of  every  spor- 
tive genius  were  regarded  as  of  divine  authority.     And 
thus  the  Scriptures  were  perverted  and  exposed  to  the 
ridicule  of  profane  minds.     Nor  were  they  rescued  from 
this  miserable  abuse,  till  the  a^ra  of  the  reformation.   His 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIwp.  1, 

sentiments  on  the  all  important  doctrine  of  justification, 
were  deplorably  corrupt;  and  that  "good  works  deserve 
grace  of  congruity,"*  was  one  of  his  favourite  axioms.  His 
notions  of  the  nature  of  repentance  were  egregiously 
trifling.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  in  his  writings, 
and  particularly  in  the  account  of  his  discourses  during 
his  last  sickness,  traces  of  great  devotion,  and  a  strain  of 
piety  very  similar  to  that  of  Augustine.  But  I  confess, 
that,  interlarded  as  they  are  with  Romish  idolatry,  and 
an  unbounded  attachment  to  the  pope  as  the  intallible 
guide  of  the  church,  I  feel  no  inclination  to  transcribe 
them;  because  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  frauds 
by  which  the  Dominicans  supported  the  popedom;  and 
because  some  glare  of  solemn  devotion  seemed  necessary 
to  be  employed  by  the  agents  of  that  See,  in  order  to 
maintain  the  reputation  of  a  system  intolerably  corrupt. 


f  ourteentji  Centurp. 

CHAPTER  I. 

Corruptions. — Wickliff. 

We  are  beginning  to  approach  the  dawn  of  a  brighter 
day,  when  God  said  concerning  part  of  the  Western 
Church,  Let  there  be  light. 

The  same  darkness  and  superstition,  the  same  vice 
and  immorality  were  upheld  by  Rome  in  this  as  in  the 
last  century. 

*  See  Article  XHI.  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church. 


Cent.  14.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  113 

Boniface  VIII.  filled  the  Christian  world  with  the 
noise  and  turbulence  of  his  anribition.  He  followed  the 
steps  of  Hildebrand,  and  attempted  to  be  equally  despotic 
in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  matters.  He  it  was,  who  for- 
bad- the  clergy  to  pay  any  thing  to  princes  witliout  his 
permission.*  He  also  instituted  a  jubilee,  which  was  to 
be  renewed  every  hundred  years,  by  which  he  granted 
plenary  indulgences  to  all  strangers,  who  should  visit  the 
churches  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  in  Rome.f  This  un- 
principled pontiff  died  in  extreme  misery  in  1303,  in  the 
ninth  year  of  his  papacy. 

The  schism  which  afterwards  took  place  in  the  pope- 
dom was  providentially  a  blessing  to  mankind.  While, 
for  the  space  of  fifty  years,  the  church  had  two  or  three 
heads  at  the  same  time;  and,  while  each  of  the  contending 
popes  was  anathematizing  his  competitors,  the  reverence 
of  mankind  for  the  popedom  itself  was  insensibly  dimi- 
nished; and  the  labours  of  those,  whom  God  raised  up  to 
propagate  divine  truth,  began  to  be  more  seriously  re- 
garded by  men  of  conscience  and  probity. 

The  morning  star  of  the  reformation  appeared  in  Eng- 
land. Wickliff  was  born,  about  the  year  1324,  at  a  vil- 
lage near  Richmond  in  Yorkshire.  lie  was  admitted  a 
student  at  Q,ueen's  College,  Oxford,  but  soon  removed  to 
Merton  College,  which  was  at  that  time  esteemed  one  of 
the  most  famous  seminaries  of  learning  in  Europe.  In 
the  long  list  of  men  of  note  and  eminence  belonging  to 
this  College,  we  observe  the  names  of  William  Occham, 
called  the  venerable  Inceptor;  and  of  Thomas  Bradwar- 
dine,  called  the  Profound  Doctor. 

*  Du  Pin. 

I  The  successors  of  Boniface,  finding  that  the  Jubilee  augmented  the  reve- 
nue of  the  Roman  church,  fixed  its  return  to  every  twenty-fiftli  year. 
Vol.  II.  P 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C7m]7. 1. 

Our  renowned  reformer  soon  became  master  of  all  the 
niceties  of  the  school-divinity.  He  seems  to  have  reign- 
ed without  a  rival  in  the  public  disputations,  which  were 
then  in  hipjh  repute.  The  Aristotnlian  logic  was  at  its 
height;  and  WicklitT,  in  opposing  ei-ror,  made  use  of.  the 
same  weapons,  which  his  adversaries  employed  in  main- 
taining it.  Such  were  his  labours  on  the  week-days, 
proving  to  the  learned  the  doctrine  concerning  which  he 
intended  to  preach;  and  on  the  Sundays  he  addressed  the 
common  people  on  the  points  which  he  had  proved  be- 
fore. He  always  descended  to  particulars:  He  attacked 
the  vices  of  the  friars,  and  many  of  the  prevailing  abuses 
in  religion.  On  the  question  of  the  real  presence  in  the 
Eucharist,  WicklifF  has  been  considered  as  remarkably 
clear.  In  this  matter  the  reader  will  be  better  enabled 
to  judge  for  himself,  when  certain  authentic  documents, 
tending  to  elucidate  this  early  reformer's  opinion  of  the 
nature  of  the  Sacrament,  shall  have  been  submitted  to 
his  consideration. 

Wickliff's  defence  of  the  University  of  Oxford,  against 
the  encroachments  of  the  Mendicant  friars,  seems  to  have 
been  one  of  the  first  things  which  brought  him  into  pub- 
lic notice. 

This  religious  order  not  only  pretended  to  a  distinct 
jurisdiction  from  that  of  the  University,  but  took  every 
opportunity  of  enticing  the  students  into  their  convents, 
insomuch  that  parents  feared  to  send  their  children  to 
the  respective  colleges,  lest  they  should  be  kidnapped  by 
the  friars.  We  are  informed  that,  owing  to  this  cause, 
the  number  of  students,  from  having  been  thirty  thou- 
sand, was  reduced  to  about  six  thousand,  in  the  year 
1357. 

The  zeal  and  ability  of  Wickliff  manifested  itself  on 


Cent.U.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  115 

this  occasion.  He  composed  and  published  several  spirited 
treatises,  against  able  bes:^garij,  against  idle  beggary,  and 
on  the  poverty  of  Christ.  Tlic  consequence  of  these  lau- 
dable exertions  was  his  advancement  to  the  mastership 
of  Baliol  College;  and  four  years  after  he  was  chosen 
warden  of  Canterbury  Hall. 

From  this  oflice  he  was  ejected,  with  circumstances  of 
great  injustice,  by  Langham,  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
Wickliff  appealed. to  the  pope,  who  for  the  space  of  three 
years  artfully  suspended  his  decision.  In  the  mean  time 
Wickliff,  regardless  of  consequences,  continued  his  at- 
tacks on  the  insatiable  ambition,  tyranny,  and  avarice  of 
the  ruling  ecclesiastics,  as  also  on  the  idleness,  debauch- 
ery, and  hypocrisy  of  the  friars.  Then  these  things  were 
not  done  in  a  corner  or  by  halves;  nor  did  there  want  in- 
formers to  carry  the  news  to  Rome.  Accordingly,  no- 
body was  surprised  to  hear  of  the  confirmation  of  the  ejec- 
tion of  so  obnoxious  a  person  as  Wickliff.  The  pope's 
definitive  sentence  to  that  effect  arrived  at  Oxford  in 
1370,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  all  the  monastic  orders, 
whose  dignity  and  interest  were  intimately  connected 
with  the  question  of  W^ickliff's  right  to  hold  his  office. 

The  pope  and  his  cardinals  feared  him,  and  minutely 
observed  his  proceedings;  and  on  the  other  hand,  we  find 
that  the  first  parliament  of  England  held  under  king 
Richard  H.  entertained  so  high  an  opinion  of  his  inte- 
grity and  knowledge,  that  in  a  case  of  the  utmost  emer- 
gency, and  on  a  very  nice  and  delicate  question,  they 
apphed  to  him  for  the  sanction  of  his  judgment  and  au- 
thority. The  question  was,  "  Whether,  for  the  defence 
of  the  kingdom,  that  treasure  which  the  lord  pope  de- 
manded on  pain  of  censures,  might  not  be  lawfully  de- 
tained.''    The  affirmative  answer  of  the  casuist  was  un- 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  \. 

doubtedly  foreseen;  but  still  the  application  of  the  king 
and  parliament  to  a  man  who  had  been  persecuted  by 
the  pope  and  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  proves  be- 
yond contradiction  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  was 
held.  It  proves  also,  that,  tliough  deprived  of  his  war- 
densliip,  and  surrounded  by  exasperated  friars,  and  nar- 
rowly watched  by  the  rulers  of  the  church,  he  must  have 
been  supported  at  this  time  by  worldly  friends  of  the 
greatest  weight  and  consequence.  It  could  not  therefore 
easily  happen,  that  a  man  in  the  splendid  situation  of 
Wickliff  should  remain  long  without  an  ample  mainte- 
nance. Accordingly,  it  appears,  that  in  1374  he  was 
presented  by  Edward  III.  to  the  rectory  of  Lutterworth 
in  Leicestershire,  and  afterwards  in  1375,  was  confirmed 
in  the  prebend  of  Auste  in  the  collegiate  church  of  West- 
bury.  Tlie  duke  of  Lancaster  is  supposed  to  have  been 
the  chief  friend  of  Wickliff,  in  obtaining  for  him  the 
royal  patronage.  Many  persons  indeed  considered  the 
reformer  as  in  the  high  road  to  some  dignified  prefer- 
ment; but  there  is  no  account  of  any  such  offer  being 
made  to  him. 

Wickliff  was  now  become  independent.  He  had  a 
great  many  admirers,  some  powerful  friends,  and  a  host 
of  bitter  enemies.  He  was  profoundly  learned;  uncom- 
monly eloquent;  and,  to  complete  the  character,  he  was 
inflamed  with  a  zeal  for  truth,  he  abhorred  hypocrisy, 
was  hostile  to  every  species  of  vice,  and  was  himself  a 
man  of  unexceptionable  morals.  This  was  precisely  the 
man  who,  one  might  predict,  would  be  likely  to  fall  with- 
out mercy  on  proud  popes  and  idle  friars. 

The  following  is  a  short  specimen  of  the  manner  in 
which  Wickliff  sometimes  treated  the  pope.  He  called 
him  Antichrist,  the  proud  worldly  priest  of  Rome,  and  the 


Cent.  14.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  117 

most  curs^  of  clippers  and  purse-kervers.  He  averred, 
that  the  pope  and  his  collectors  drew  out  of  the  land  poor 
men's  livelihood,  to  the  amount  of  many  thousand  marks 
a  year:  and  added,  that  though  the  realm  had  a  huge  hill 
of  gold  in  it,  and  no  other  man  took  thereof  except  this 
proud  worldly  priest's  collector,  yet  in  process  of  time 
this  hill  would  be  levelled. 

His  attacks  on  the  friars  are  innumerable.  They  draw, 
said  he,  children  -  from  Christ's  religion  by  hypocrisy; 
they  tell  them  that  men  of  their  order  shall  never  go  to 
hell.  They  praise  their  own  rotten  habit  more  than  the 
worshipful  body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  They  teach 
lords  and  ladies,  that  if  they  die  in  Francis's  habit,  the 
virtue  of  it  will  preserve  them  from  hell.  St.  Paul  la- 
boured with  his  own  hands;  and  it  is  the  commandment 
of  Christ,  to  give  alms  to  poor,  feeble,  crooked,  blind, 
and  bed-ridden  men;  but  it  is  leaving  this  commandment, 
to  give  alms  to  such  hypocrites  as  the  begging  friars,  who 
feign  themselves  holy  and  needy,  when  in  fact  they  are 
strong  in  body,  and  possess  overmuch  riches,  as  well  as 
great  houses,  precious  cloths,  jewels  and  other  valuable 
things. 

It  was  not  to  be  expected  that  the  Romish  clergy 
should  tamely  submit  to  reiterated  flagellations  of  this 
kind.  They  forthwith  selected,  from  Wickliff's  pubHc 
lectures  and  sermons,  nineteen  articles  of  complaint  and 
accusation,  and  despatched  them  to  Rome. 

The  pope  was  so  completely  alive  to  the  business,  that 
he  sent  no  fewer  than  five  bulls  to  England  on  this  occa- 
sion. Three  of  them  were  directed  to  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury  and  the  bishop  of  London.  In  the  first  he 
orders  these  prelates  to  apprehend  the  rector  of  Lutter- 
worth, and  imprison  him,  provided  they  found  him  guilty 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CVi«;7.  1. 

of  the  heresy  with  which  he  was  charged. "  In  the  se- 
cond, he  enjoins  them,  if  they  cannot  find  him,  to  fix  up 
public  citations  in  Oxford  and  in  other  places,  for  his 
personal  appearance  before  the  pope  within  the  space  of 
three  months.  In  the  third,  he  commands  them  to  ac- 
quaint the  king  and  his  sons  with  the  heresy  of  Wickliff, 
and  to  require  their  assistance  for  its  effectual  extirpa- 
tion. 

A  fourth  bull  was  addressed  to  the  king  himself,  de- 
siring his  royal  help  and  patronage  in  the  prosecution  of 
the  heretic.  And  lastly,  a  fifth  was  despatched  to  the 
university  of  Oxford,  in  which  the  pope  laments  the  sloth 
and  laziness  of  the  chancellor  and  heads  of  the  university 
in  permitting  tares  to  spring  up  among  the  pure  wheat. 
Wickliff's  doctrines,  he  said,  would  subvert  both  church 
and  state.  They  ought  to  forbid  the  preaching  of  such 
tenets,  and  assist  the  bishops  in  their  endeavours  to  bring 
the  offender  to  punishment. 

It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that,  both  by  the  university 
of  Oxford,  and  by  the  government  of  the  country,  these 
bulls  were  treated  with  the  utmost  contempt.  The  uni- 
versity for  a  long  time  were  disposed  wholly  to  reject 
with  disgrace  the  pontifical  injunctions;  and  when  after 
much  deliberation  they  had  received  the  bull,  they  re- 
fused to  be  active  in  giving  to  it  the  smallest  degree  of 
effect. 

The  regency  and  parliament  of  England  manifested 
their  disapprobation  of  the  persecution  of  Wickliff,  in  a 
manner  which  must  have  mortified  the  haughty  pontiff 
exceedingly.  For  it  was  at  this  moment  that  they  chose 
to  honour  this  celebrated  reformer  with  their  confidence, 
as  aforementioned. 

The  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  bishop  of  Lon- 


Cent.  14.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  119 

don,  however,  did  not  hesitate  to  execute  the  pope's  com- 
mands. They  cited  Wickhfif  to  appear  before  them  at 
St.  Paul's  in  London,  on  tlie  thirtieth  day  after  the  no- 
tice; and  this  interval  of  a  month,  was  by  him  wisely  em- 
ployed in  taking  precautions  for  his  safety.  To  be  briefj 
he  saw  no  way  of  evading  the  present  storm  of  persecu- 
tion, but  by  putting  himself  at  once  under  the  protection 
of  the  duke  of  Lancaster,  who  had  long  known  him,  and 
entertained  a  high  opinion  of  his  learning  and  integrity, 
and  who  was  no  great  admirer  either  of  the  monks  or  of 
the  prelates. 

This  duke,  well  known  by  the  name  of  John  of  Gaunt, 
not  only  advised  WicklifFto  obey  the  citation;  but  also  in 
person,  together  with  Henry  Percy,  lord  marshal  of  Eng- 
land, accompanied  him  to  St.  Paul's.  But  the  conduct 
of  these  great  personages  in  the  council,  I  fear,  added  no 
real  honour  to  the  cause  of  Wickliff.  Sudbury,  the  arch- 
bishop, was  a  moderate  man,  for  the  times  in  which  he 
lived;  but  Courtney,  the  bishop  of  London,  was  an  in- 
temperate bigot,  no  doubt;  yet  that  circumstance  will  not 
justify  the  duke  for  declaring  in  court,  that  "  rather  than 
take  at  his  hands  what  the  bishop  had  said  to  him,  he 
would  drag  him  by  the  hair  of  his  head  out  of  the 
church."  The  bystanders  heard  these  words,  and  were 
so  enraged,  that  they  cried  aloud  ''  they  would  rather 
lose  their  lives  than  suffer  their  bishop  to  be  so  contemp- 
tuously treated."  The  court  was  compelled  to  break  up 
in  tumult  and  confusion;  and  it  would  have  given  real 
pleasure  to  a  lover  of  Christian  reformation,  if  he  could 
have  discovered  any  proof  that  Wickliff  protested  against 
the  disorderly  and  insolent  behaviour  of  his  patrons.  But 
this  does  not  appear.  Nor  is  it  more  than  historical  jus- 
tice to  say,  that  the  deportment  of  the  archbishop  and 


120  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

bishop  seems  to  have  been  more  unexceptionable  than 
that  of  Wickhff  and  his  friends  in  this  transaction. 

Wickliif  having  escaped,  in  the  manner  that  has  been 
mentioned,  those  severities  which  his  persecutors,  the 
pope  and  prelates,  had  no  doubt  intended  to  inflict,  paid 
little  regard  to  the  strict  charge  which  they  are  said  to 
have  given  him,  to  be  silent  in  future  respecting  all  the 
subjects  which  had  given  so  much  offence.  He  con- 
tinued in  the  year  1377,  during  the  minority  of  Richard 
the  Second,  to  preach  and  instruct  the  people  with  una- 
bated zeal  and  courage.* 

This  perseverance  in  the  good  cause  induced  the  Eng- 
lish prelates,  now  encouraged  by  the  decline  of  the  duke 
of  Lancaster's  power  after  the  death  of  king  Edward 
III.  to  make  another  attempt  at  carrying  into  execution 
the  tyrannical  designs  of  the  Roman  pontiff. 

The  heretic  was  not  disobedient  to  their  second  cita- 
tion: for  in  1378  we  find  him  before  the  same  papal  de- 
legates, assembled  on  the  present  occasion,  not  in  St. 
Paul's,  but  in  the  more  private  archiepiscopal  church  at 
Lambeth.  However,  many  of  the  citizens  of  London, 
who  revered  VVickliff,  forced  themselves,  together  with 
a  multitude  of  common  people,  into  the  chapel,  where 
thej  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  prisoner,  and  exceedingly 
terrified  his  judges.  Moreover  the  Q,ueen  dowager, 
widow  of  the  Black  Prince,  ordered  Sir  L.  Clifford  to  go 
and  peremptorily  forbid  them  to  proceed  to  any  definitive 
sentence.  Here  the  papal  advocate  Walsingham  loses 
all  patience.  "  The  bishops,"  says  he,  '•  who  had  pro- 
fessed themselves  determined  to  do  their  duty  in  spite  of 
threats  or  promises,  and  even  at  the  hazard  of  their  lives, 
became  so  intimidated  during  the  examination  of  the 

•  Fox,  p.  491. 


Cenf.  14.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  121 

apostate,  that  their  speeches  were  as  soft  as  oil,  to  the 
public  loss  of  their  dignity,  and  the  damage  of  the  whole 
church.  And  when  CHfford  pompously  delivered  his 
message,  they  were  so  overcome  with  fear,  that  you 
would  have  thought  them  to  be  as  a  man  that  heareth 
not,  and  in  whose  mouth  are  no  reproofs.  Thus,"  con- 
tinues the  historian,  "  this  false  teacher,  this  complete 
hypocrite,  evaded  the  hand  of  justice;  and  could  no  more 
be  called  before  the  same  prelates,  because  their  com- 
mission expired  by  the  death  of  the  pope,  Gregory  XL* 

But  it  must  not  be  here  dissembled,  that  our  reformer, 
though  evidently  still  protected  by  the  great,  did  not  rest 
his  safety  entirely  on  their  authority  and  hiterference. 
He  delivered  into  the  court  a  solemn  protest,  and  an  ex- 
planatory qualification  of  several  of  his  positions  which 
had  been  deemed  erroneous  or  heretical. 

Politics  was  the  rock  on  which  this  great  and  good 
man  split;  and  in  this  case  it  clearly  appeared,  that  the 
work  of  God  is  not  to  be  carried  on  by  the  "arm  of 
flesh." 

After  the  last  mentioned  conflict  with  the  university  of 
Oxford,  Wickliif  appears  to  have  been,  in  the  main,  de- 
livered from  persecution;  and  to  have  been  still  support- 
ed, in  some  degree,  by  the  secular  power,  and  by  indivi- 
duals of  distinction,  though  he  was  induced,  I  fear,  as 
the  price  of  that  protection,  to  make  such  sacrifices  as 
are  inconsistent  with  a  direct  and  open  sincerity.  He 
had  no  trouble  from  his  superiors,  at  least  none  that  de- 
serves any  particular  detail,  though  he  certainly  continued 
to  the  end  of  his  days,  in  the  unremitted  exercise  of  zea- 

*  Fuller's  observation  on  this  event  is  as  follows.    The  bishops  were  struck 

with  a  panic  fear And  the  person  of  this  John  W'icklift"  was  saved  as 

was  once  the  doctrine  of  his  godly  namesake  ;  "  The;/  feared  the  people,  for  all 
men  counted  John  that  he  -was  a  prophet  indeed."    Mark  xi.  32. 
Vol.  II.  Q 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

lous  pastoral  laT>ours  in  his  parish  church  of  Lutterworth; 
though  he  persevered  iu  attacking  the  abuses  of  popery 
hy  his  writings  against  the  mendicants,  against  transub- 
stantiation,  and  against  indulgences;  and  though  he  pro- 
duced a  translation  of  the  Bible  from  the  Latin  into  the 
Enghsh  tongue.  This  work  alone  sufficed  to  render  his 
name  immortal.  The  value  of  it  was  unspeakable;  and 
his  unwearied  pains  to  propagate  the  genuine  doctrines 
of  revelation  among  mankind,  indicated  the  steady  zeal 
with  which  he  was  endowed;  while  the  rage,  with  which 
the  hierarchy  was  inflamed  against  a  work  so  undeniably 
seasonable,  demonstrated,  that  the  ecclesiastical  rulers 
hated  the  light,  and  would  not  come  to  the  light,  lest  their 
deeds  should  be  reproved.* 

Wickliff  died  in  peace  at  Lutterworth,  of  the  palsy,  in 
the  year  1387.  In  the  year  1410,  his  works  were  burn- 
ed at  Oxford;  and  in  1428,  his  remains  were  dug  out  of 
his  grave  and  burned,  and  his  ashes  thrown  into  the  river 
of  Lutterworth.  The  number  of  his  volumes  committed 
to  the  flames  by  order  of  Subinco,*  archbishop  of  Prague, 
amounted  to  about  two  hundred.  His  labours  indeed 
appear  to  have  been  immense;  and  beyond  all  doubt,  he 
was  in  that  dark  age  a  prodigy  of  knowledge. 

Little  more  need  be  said  of  the  state  of  the  church  in 
this  century.  In  the  east  the  profession  of  Christianity 
still  pervaded  that  contracted  empire  of  the  Greeks,  of 
which  Constantinople  was  the  metropolis.  But  no  Chris- 
tian records  are  come  down  to  us  of  any  thing  like  the 
primitive  gospel.  Even  the  profession  of  Christianily, 
which  had  existed  in  China,  was  extirpated  through  the 
jealousy  of  the  reigning  powers;  and  the  famous  Tamer- 
lane, the  Tartar,  cruelly  persecuted  all  who  bore  the 

•  John  iii.  ver.  20.  f  Fox,  p.  509 


CenLU.y  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  123 

Christian  name,  being  persuaded,  as  a  Mahometan,  that 
it  was  highly  meritorious  to  destroy  them.  Thus  even 
the  form  of  godhness  dechned  in  Asia:  the  power  of  it, 
alasl  had  vanished  long  before.  Nor  were  the  atteuipts, 
which  were  made  in  Europe  to  renew  the  Crusades,  by 
means  of  indulgences,  calculated  to  revive  the  light  of 
the  gospel  in  the  east,  even  if  they  had  succeeded.  The 
Holy  Land  had  been  lost  in  1291;  and  an  army  was 
collected  in  1363,  under  the  auspices  of  pope  Urban  V. 
commanded  by  John,  king  of  France,  that  same  monarch, 
who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  Edward  the  Black 
Prince,  at  the  battle  of  Poictiers.  But  John  departed 
this  life,  and  Urban's  hopes  from  the  crusade  were 
blasted. 

In  the  mean  time  the  boundaries  of  Christianity  had 
been  gradually  extended  in  Europe.*  Jagello,  duke  of 
Lithuania,  was  now  almost  the  only  pagan  prince  in  that 
quarter  of  the  world.  And  he,  influenced  by  secular 
views,  became  a  Christian  in  name  and  profession,  and 
by  this  means  acquired  the  crown  of  Poland.  The  Teu- 
tonic knights  continued  also  the  military  methods  of 
obliging  the  Prussians  and  Livonians  to  profess  the  gos- 
pel, and  completed  in  this  century,  what  they  had  begun 
in  the  last. 

We  are  glad  to  confine  our  attention  chiefly  to  the 
progress  of  reformation. 

Im,  vol,  i,  p.  713. 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

fifteentji  Centurp* 

CHAPTER  I. 

Lord  Cobham. — The  Lollards. 

Henry  IV.  of  England,  and  Arundel,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  impelled  by  the  church  of  Rome,  commenced 
a  furious  presecution  against  the  Lollards — a  term  given 
in  derision  to  the  followers  of  Wickliff.  William  Sawtre 
was  the  first  man  who  was  burnt  in  England  lor  opposing 
the  abominations  of  popery.  He  was  a  clergyman  in 
London,  who  openly  taught  the  doctrines  of  Wickliff. 
Glorying  in  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  strengthened  by  di- 
vine grace,  he  suffered  the  flames  of  martyrdom  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord,  fourteen  hundred.* 

In  the  year  1413,  died  Henry  IV. — His  successor, 
Henry  V.  trode  in  his  steps,  and  countenanced  Arundel, 
in  his  plans  of  extirpating  the  Lollards,  and  of  support- 
ing the  existing  hierarchy  by  penal  coercions.  In  the 
first  year  of  the  new  king's  reign,  this  archbishop  collect- 
ed in  St.  Paul's  church  at  London,  a  universal  synod  of 
all  the  bishops  and  clergy  of  England.  The  principal 
object  of  the  assembly  was  to  repress  the  growing  sect; 
and,  as  sir  John  Jldcastle,  Lord  Cobham,  had  on  all  oc- 
casions discovered  a  partiality  for  these  reformers,  the 
resentment  of  the  archbishop  and  of  the  whole  body  of 
the  clergy,  was  particularly  levelled  at  this  nobleman. 
Certainly,  at  that  time,  no  man  in  England  was  more 
obnoxious  to  the  ecclesiastics.    For  he  made  no  secret 

*  Wilkins,  Convoc,  p.  254—260. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  125 

of  his  opinions.  He  had  very  much  distinguished  him- 
self in  opposing  the  abuses  of  popery.  At  a  great  ex- 
pense, he  had  collected,  transcribed,  and  dispersed  the 
works  of  Wicklifl'  among  the  common  people  without  re- 
serve; and  it  was  well  known  that  he  maintained  a  great 
number  of  itinerant  preachers  in  many  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, particularly  in  the  dioceses  of  Canterbury,  Rochester, 
Loudon  and  Hereford.* 

But  Lord  Cobham  was  a  favourite  both  of  the  king 
and  of  the  people;  and  therefore  to  effect  his  destruction 
was  an  undertaking  that  required  much  caution.  The 
archbishop  however  was  in  earnest,  and  he  concerted  his 
measures  with  prudence. 

His  first  step  was  to  procure  the  royal  mandate  for 
sending  commissioners  to  Oxford,  whose  business  should 
be  to  examine  and  report  the  progress  of  heresy.  These 
commissioners  are,  by  Mr.  Fox,  not  improperly  called 
"  the  twelve  inquisitors  of  heresies.^^  The  issue  of  their 
inquiries  proved  highly  ungrateful  to  the  hierarchy. 
They  found  Oxford  overrun  with  heretics:  they  were, 
indeed,  respectfully  received  by  the  rulers  of  the  univer- 
sity, but  the  opinions  of  Wickliff  had  made  their  way 
among  the  junior  students;  and  the  talents  and  integrity 
of  their  master  were  held  in  high  esteem  and  admiration 
by  his  disciples.  This  information,  with  many  other 
minute  particulars,  Arundel  laid  before  the  grand  con- 
vocation, who,  after  long  debates,  determined,  that,  with- 
out delay,  the  Lord  Cobham  should  be  prosecuted  as  a 
heretic.  Him  they  considered  as  the  great  offender:  to 
his  influence  they  ascribed  the  growth  of  heresy:  he  was 
not  only,  they  said,  an  avowed  heretic  himself,  but,  by 
stipends  encouraged  scholars  from  Oxford,  to  propagate 

*  Fox,  p.  635.    Walden  cont.  Wiclev.  Goodwin's  Hen.  V. 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.  1. 

his  opinions,  many  of  which  were  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  sentiments  of  the  holy  church  of  Rome;  and  lastly, 
he  employed  the  disciples  of  Wickliff  in  preaching, 
though  they  had  not  obtained  the  licenses  of  their  respec- 
tive bishops  for  that  purpose.  With  great  solemnity  a 
copy  of  each  of  Wickliff 's  works  was  publicly  burnt,  by 
the  enraged  archbishop,  in  the  presence  of  the  nobility, 
clergy,  and  people:  and  it  happened  that  one  of  the  books 
burnt  on  this  occasion,  had  belonged  to  Lord  Cobham. 
This  circumstance  tended  much  to  confirm  the  assembly 
in  their  belief  that  that  nobleman  was  a  great  encourager 
of  the  Lollards.* 

At  the  moment  when  the  convocation  seemed  almost 
in  a  flame,  and  were  vowing  vengeance  against  Lord 
Cobham,  some  of  the  more  cool  and  discreet  members 
are  said  to  have  suggested  the  propriety  of  sounding  how 
the  young  king  would  relish  the  measures  they  had  in 
view,  before  they  should  proceed  any  farther.  Arundel 
instantly  saw  the  wisdom  of  this  advice,  and  he  resolved 
to  follow  it. 

For  the  purpose  of  giving  weight  to  his  proceedings, 
this  artful  primate,  at  the  head  of  a  great  number  of  dig- 
nified ecclesiastics,  complained  most  grievously  to  Henry, 
of  the  heretical  practices  of  his  favourite  servant  Lord 
Cobham,  and  inti^eated  his  majesty  to  consent  to  the 
prosecution  of  so  incorrigible  an  offender. 

The  affections  of  the  king  appear  to  have  been,  in 
some  measure,  already  alienated  from  this  unfortunate 
nobleman:  Mr.  Fox  observes,!  that  he  gently  listened  to 
those  "  blood-thirsty  prelates,  and  far  otherwise  than  be- 
came his  princely  dignity."  But  there  is  a  circumstance, 
which  seems  to  have  escaped  the  notice  of  this  diligent 

•  Fox,  p.  636.  Collier,  p.  632.    Wilkins  Concilia,  p.  352.        f  Fox,  ibid. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  127 

searcher  into  ancient  records.  Through  the  manage- 
ment of  the  archbishop,  the  king's  mind  was  previously 
impressed  with  strong  suspicions  of  Lord  Cobham's 
heresy  and  enmity  to  the  church.  That  very  book  above 
mentioned,  which  was  said  to  belong  to  this  excellent 
man,  and  which  the  convocation  condemned  to  the  flames, 
was  read  aloud  before  the  king,  the  bishops  and  the  tem- 
poral peers  of  the  realm:  and  the  fragment  of  the  ac- 
count of  these  proceedings  informs  us,  that  Henry  was 
exceedingly  shocked  at  the  recital;  and  declared  that,  in 
his  life,  he  never  heard  such  horrid  heresy.*  However, 
in  consideration  of  the  high  birth,  military  rank,  and  good 
services  of  sir  John  Oldcastle,  the  king  enjoined  the  con- 
vocation to  deal  favourably  with  him,  and  to  desist  from 
all  further  process  for  some  days:  he  wished  to  restore 
him  to  the  unity  of  the  church  without  rigour  or  disgrace; 
and  he  promised  that  he  himself,  in  the  mean  time,  would 
send  privately  for  the  honourable  knight,  and  endeavour 
to  persuade  him  to  renounce  his  errors. 

The  king  kept  his  promise,  and  is  said  to  have  used 
every  argument  he  could  think  of,  to  convince  him  of 
the  high  offence  of  separating  f»-om  the  church;  and  at 
last,  to  have  pathetically  exhorted  him  to  retract  and 
submit,  as  an  obedient  child  to  his  holy  mother.  The 
answer  of  the  knight  is  very  expressive  of  the  frank  and 
open  intrepidity  which  distinguished  his  character.  "  You 
I  am  always  most  ready  to  obey,^'  said  he,  "  because  you 
are  the  appointed  minister  of  God,  and  bear  the  sword 
for  the  punishment  of  evil  doers.  But,  as  to  the  pope 
and  his  spiritual  dominion,  I  owe  them  no  obedience, 
nor  will  I  pay  them  any;  for  as  sure  as  God's  word  is 
true,  to  me  it  is  fully  evident,  that  the  pope  of  Rome  is 

*  Fragmentum  Convoc.  Cantuar.    Arundel, 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

the  great  antichrist,  foretold  in  Holy  Writ,  the  son  of 
perdition,  the  open  adversary  of  God,  and  the  abomina- 
tion standing  in  the  holy  place."  The  extreme  igno- 
rance of  Henry  in  matters  of  religion,  by  no  means  dis- 
posed him  to  relish  such  an  answer  as  this:  he  imme- 
diately turned  away  from  him  in  visible  displeasure,  and 
gave  up  the  disciple  of  WicklifF  to  the  malice  of  his  ene- 
mies.* 

Arundel,  supported  by  the  sovereign  power,  sent  a 
citation  to  the  castle  of  Cowling,  where  Lord  Cobham 
then  resided.  But  feudal  ideas  w^ere  at  that  time  no  less 
fashionable  than  those  of  ecclesiastical  domination.  The 
high  spirited  nobleman  availed  him.self  of  his  privileges, 
and  refused  admission  to  the  messenger.  The  archbishop 
then  cited  him,t  by  letters  affixed  to  the  great  gates  of 
the  cathedral  of  Rochester;  but  Lord  Cobham  still  dis- 
regarded the  mandate.  Arundel,  in  a  rage,  excommuni- 
cated him  for  contumacy,  and  demanded  the  aid  of  the 
civil  power  to  apprehend  him. 

Cobham,  alarmed  at  length  at  the  approaching  storm, 
put  in  writing  a  confession  of  his  faith,  delivered  it  to  the 
king,  and  intreated  his  majesty  to  judge  for  himself,  whe- 
ther he  had  merited  all  this  rough  treatment.  The  king 
coldly  ordered  the  written  confession  to  be  delivered  to 
the  archbishop.  Lord  Cobham  then  offered  to  bring  a 
hundred  knights,  who  would  bear  testimony  to  the  inno- 
cence of  his  life  and  opinions.  When  these  expedients 
had  failed,  he  assumed  a  higher  strain,  and  begged  that 
he  might  be  permitted,  as  was  usual  in  less  matters,  to 
vindicate  his  innocence  by  the  law  of  arms.  He  said  he 
was  ready,  "  in  the  quarrel  of  his  faith,"  to  fight  for  life 

•  Fox,  p.  636.     Goodwin,  Heniy  V. 
t  Citatio  Arund.    Wilkins,  p,  329, 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  1^9 

or  death,  with  any  man  living,  the  king  and  the  lords  of 
his  council  being  excepted. 

Nothing  can  be  said  by  way  of  extenuating  so  gross 
an  absurdity,  except  that  he  had  been  educated  in  the 
military  habits  of  the  fourteenth  century.  AjkI  such 
was  the  wretched  state  of  society  in  the  leign  of  Henry 
V.  whose  history  we  are  accustomed  to  read  with  so 
much  pride  and  admiration,  that  no  juethod  of  defence 
remained  for  this  Christian  hero,  but  wiiat  was  as  con- 
trary to  all  ideas'of  justice  and  equity,  as  that  by  which 
he  was  persecuted.  In  the  issue,  Cobliam  was  arrested 
by  the  king's  express  order,  and  lodged  in  t!ic  tower  of 
London.  Tiie  very  zealous  and  honest  Mr.  Fox,*  gives 
the  following  account  of  his  first  examination. 

On  the  day  appointed,  T^homas  Arundel,  the  arch- 
bishop, "  sitting  in  Caiaphas'  room,  in  the  chapter-house 
at  St.  Paul's,"  with  the  bishops  of  London  and  Winches- 
ter, sir  Robert  Morley  brought  personally  before  him 
Lord  Cobham,  and  left  him  there  for  the  time.  Sir, 
said  the  primate,  }ou  stand  here,  both  detected  of  here- 
sies, and  also  excommunicated  for  contumacy.  Not- 
withstanding, we  have,  as  yet,  neither  shown  ourselves 
unwilling  to  give  you  absolution,  nor  yet  do  to  this  hour, 
provided  you  would  meekly  ask  for  it. 

Lord  Cobham  took  no  notice  of  this  offer,  but  desired 
permission  to  read  an  account  of  his  faith,  which  had 
long  been  settled,  and  which  he  intended  to  stand  to. 
He  then  took  out  of  his  bosom  a  certain  writing  respect- 
ing the  articles  whereof  he  was  accused,  and  when  he 
had  read  it,  he  delivered  the  same  to  the  archbishop. 

The  contents  of  the  paper  were,  in  substance,  these: 

•  Pages  638  and  639. 
Vol.  II^  R 


130  IIISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.l. 

1.  That  the  most  worshipful  sacrament  of  the  ahar  is 
Christ's  body  in  the  form  of  bread. 

2.  That  every  man,  who  would  be  saved,  must  forsake 
sin,  and  do  penance  for  sins  already  committed,  with  true 
and  very  sincere  contrition. 

3.  That  images  might  be  allowable  to  represent  and 
give  men  lively  ideas  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  of  the  martyrdom  and  good  lives  of  saints; 
but,  that  if  any  man  gave  that  worship  to  dead  images 
whi»  h  was  due  only  to  God,  or  put  such  hope  or  trust  in 
the  help  of  them  as  he  should  do  in  God,  he  became  a 
grievous  idolater. 

4.  That  the  matter  of  pilgrimages  might  be  settled  in 
few  words.  A  man  may  spend  all  his  days  in  pilgrima- 
ges, and  lose  his  soul  at  last:  but  he,  that  knows  the  holy 
conimandnients  of  God,  and  keepeth  them  to  the  end, 
shall  be  saved,  though  he  never  visited  the  shrines  of 
saiiits,  as  men  now  do  in  their  pilgrimages  to  Canterbury, 
Rome,  and  other  places. 

Then  the  archbishop  informed  the  prisoner,  that, 
though  there  were  many  good  things  contained  in  his 
paper,  he  had  not  been  sufficiently  explicit  respecting 
several  other  articles  of  belief:  and  that  upon  these  also 
his  opinion  would  be  expected  As  a  direction  to  his 
faith,  he  promised  to  send  him,  in  writing,  the  clear  de- 
terminations of  the  church;  and  he  warned  him  very 
particularly,  to  attend  to  this  point;  namely,  whether,  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  the  material  bread  did,  or  did 
not,  remain,  after  the  words  of  consecration. 

The  gross  superstition  and  unscriptural  notions  of  the 
church  at  that  time,  are  strikingly  exhibited  in  this  au- 
thentic determination  of  the  primate  and  clergy,  which, 


Cent.rs.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  131 

accorvlin*  to  promise,  was  sent  to  the  Lord  Cobham  in 
the  Tower 

1.  Tiie  faith  and  determination  of  the  holy  church, 
touching  the  bhssful  sacrament  of  the  altar,  is  this,  that 
after  the  sacramental  words  be  once  spoken  by  a  priest 
in  his  Mass,  "  the  material  bread,  that  was  before  bread, 
is  turned  into  Christ's  very  body;  and  the  material  wine, 
thai  was  before  wine,  is  turned  into  Ciirist's  very  blood/' 
And  so  there  remaineth,  thenceforth,  neither  material 
bread,  nor  material  wine,  which  were  there  before  the 
sacramental  words  were  spoken. 

2.  Every  Christian  man  living  here  bodily  on  earth, 
ought  to  confess  to  a  priest  ordained  by  the  church,  if 
he  can  coii»e  to  him. 

3  Clnist  ordained  St.  Peter  to  be  his  vicar  here  on 
earth,  whose  See  is  the  holy  church  of  Rome:  and  he 
granted  that  the  same  power,  which  he  gave  to  Peter, 
should  succeed  to  all  P«'ter's  successors;  whom  we  now 

call  popes  ol'  Rome; and  whom  Christian  men  ought 

to  obey  after  the  laws  of  the  church  of  Rome. 

4.  Lastly,  Holy  Church  hath  determined,  that  it  is 
meritorious  to  a  Christian  man  to  go  on  a  pilgrimage  to 
holy  places;  and  there  to  worship  holy  reliques,  and 
images  of  saints,  apostles,  martyrs,  and  confessors,  ap- 
proved by  the  church  of  Rome. 

On  Monday,  the  day  appointed  for  the  next  examina- 
tion, Arundel  accosted  Lord  Cobham  with  an  appear- 
ance of  great  mildness,  and  put  him  in  mind,  that,  on  the 
preceding  Saturday,  he  had  informed  him,  he  was  "  ac- 
cursed for  contumacy  and  disobedience  to  the  holy 
church;"  and  had  expected  he  would  at  that  time  have 
meekly  requested  absolution.  The  archbishop  then  de- 
clared, that  even  now  it  was  not  too  late  to  make  the 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  [Cftap.l. 

same  request,  provided  it  was  made  in  due  form,  as  the 
chnrcl)  liad  ordained* 

"  I  never  yet  trespassed  against  you,''  said  this  intrepid 
servant  of  God;  "and  therefore  I  do  not  feel  the  want 
of  your  absolution."  He  then  kneeled  down  on  the 
pavement;  and  lifting  up  his  hands  to  heaven,  he  said, 
"  I  confess  myself  here  unto  thee,  my  eternal  living  God, 
that  I  have  been  a  grievous  sinner:  how  often  in  my 
frail  youth  have  I  offended  thee  by  ungoverned  passions, 
pride,  concupiscence,  intemperance!  How  often  have  I 
been  drawn  into  horrible  sin  by  anger,  and  how  many  of 
my  fcllovv-croatures  have  I  injured  from  this  cause: 
Good  Lord,  1  humbly  ask  thee  mercy:  here  I  need  ab- 
solution." 

With  tears  in  his  eyes,  he  then  stood  up,  and  with  a 
loud  voice  cried  out,  "Lo!  these  are  your  guides,  good 
people.  Take  notice;  for  the  violation  of  God's  holy 
law  and  his  great  commandments  they  never  cursed  me; 
but,  for  their  own  arbitrary  appointments  and  traditions, 
they  most  cruelly  treat  me  and  other  men.  Let  them, 
however,  remember,  that  Christ's  denunciations  against 
the  Pharisees  shall  all  be  fulfilled." 

The  dignity  of  his  manner,  and  the  vehemence  of  his 
expression,  threw  the  court  into  some  confusion.  After 
the  primate  had  recovered  himself,  he  proceeded  to  ex- 
amine the  prisoner  respecting  the  doctrine  of  transub- 
stantiation.  "  Do  you  believe,  that  after  the  words  of 
consecration  there  remains  any  material  bread .^''  "The 
Scriptures,"  said  Cobham,  "  make  no  mention  of  mate- 
rial bread;  I  believe,  that  Christ's  body  remains  in  the 
form  of  bread.  In  the  sacrament  there  is  both  Christ's 
body  and  the  bread:  the  bread  is  the  thing  that  we  see 

*  Fox,  p.  639.    Wilkins,  p.  356. 


Cent.  15.2  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  133 

with  our  eyes;  but  the  body  of  Christ  is  hid,  and  only  to 
be  seeu  by  faith."*  Upon  which,  with  one  voice,  they 
cried,  Heresy!  heresy!  One  of  the  bishops,  in  particu- 
lar, said  velieinenlly,  "That  it  was  a  foul  heresy  to  call 
it  bread."  Cobham  answered  smartly,  "St.  Paul,  the 
apostle,  was  as  wise  a  man  as  you,  and  perhaps  as  good 
a  Christian;  and  yet  he  calls  it  bread.  The  bread,  saith 
he,  that  we  break,  is  it  not  the  communion  of  tiie  body 
ofCiirist.'*  To  he  short  with  you;  I  believe  the  scrip- 
tures most  cordially,  but  I  iiave  no  belief  in  your  lordly 
laws  and  idle  determinations;  ye  are  no  part  of  Christ's 
holy  church,  as  your  deeds  do  plainly  show."  Doctor 
Walden,  the  prior  of  the  Carmelites,  and  Wickliflf  s  great 
enemy,  now  lost  all  patience,  and  exclaimed,  '*  What 
rash  and  desperate  people  are  these  followers  of  Wick- 
liff!" 

'•  Before  God  and  man,"  replied  Cobham,  "  I  solemn- 
ly here  profess,  that  till  I  knew  WicklifF.  whose  judgment 
ye  so  highly  disdain,  I  never  abstained  from  sin:  but 
after  I  became  acquainted  with  that  virtuous  man  and 
his  despised  doctrines,  it  hatb  been  otherwise  with  me; 
so  much  grace  could  I  never  find  in  all  your  pompous  in- 
structions." 

"  It  w  ere  hard,"  said  Walden,  "  that  in  an  age  of  so 
many  learned  instructors,  you  should  have  had  no  grace 
to  amend  your  life,  till  you  heard  the  devil  preach." 

"  Your  fathers,"  said  Cobham,  "the  old  Pharisees, 
ascribed  Christ's  miracles  to  Beelzebub,  and  his  doctrines 
to  the  devil.  Go  on;  and,  like  them,  ascribe  every  good 
thing  to  the  devil.  Go  on,  and  pronounce  every  man  a 
heretic,  who  rebukes  your  vicious  lives.     Pray,  what 

•  The  learned  reader  cannot  fail  to  obsen'e,  that  both  WicklifF  and  his  fol- 
lowers, seem  sometimes  to  lean  to  the  notion  of  consubstantiation. 


134.  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

warrant  have  you  from  Scripture,  for  this  very  act  you 
are  now  about?  Where  is  it  written  in  ail  God's  law, 
that  you  may  thus  sit  in  judgn)ent  upon  the  life  of  man? 
Hold — perhaps  you  will  quote  Annas  and  Caiaphas,  who 
sat  upon  Christ  and  his  apostles!" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  doctors  of  law,  "  and  Christ 
too,  for  he  judged  Judas.'' 

"I  never  heard  that  he  did,"  said  Lord  Cobhara. 
"Judas  judged  himself,  and  thereupon  went  out  and 
hanged  himself  Indeed  Christ  pronounced  a  wo  against 
him,  for  his  covetousness,  as  h^  does  still  against  you, 
who  follow  Judas'  steps." 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  long  and  iniquitous  trial,  the 
behaviour  of  Lord  Cobham  was  perfectly  consistent  with 
the  tempers  he  had  exhibited  during  the  course  of  it. 
There  remained  the  same  undaunted  courage  and  reso- 
lution, and  the  same  Christian  serenity  and  resignation. 
Some  of  the  last  questions  which  were  put  to  him,  re- 
spected the  worship  of  the  cross;  and  his  answers  prove 
that  neither  the  acuteness  of  his  genius  was  blunted,  nor 
the  solidity  of  his  judgment  impaired. 

One  of  the  friars  asked  him,  whether  he  was  ready  to 
worship  the  cross  upon  which  Christ  died. 

Where  is  it?  said  Lord  Cobham. 

But  suppose  it  was  here  at  this  moment?  said  the 

friar. 

A  wise  man  indeed,  said  Cobham,  to  put  me  such  a 
question;  and  yet  he  himself  does  not  know  where  the 
thing  is!  But,  tell  me,  I  pray,  what  sort  of  worship  do 
I  owe  to  it.^ 

One  of  the  conclave  answered;  such  worship  as  St. 
Paul  speaks  of,  when  he  says,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should 
glory  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 


Cent  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  135 

Right,  replied  Cobliam,  and  stretched  out  his  arms; 
that  is  the  true  and  the  very  cross,  far  better  tlian  your 
cross  of  wood. 

Sir,  said  the  bishop  of  London,  you  know  very  well 
that  Christ  died  upon  a  material  cross. 

True,  said  Cobham;  and  I  know  also  that  our  salva- 
tion did  not  come  by  that  material  cross,  but  by  liim  who 
died  thereupon.  Further,  1  know  well  t!iat  St.  Paul  re- 
joiced in  no  other  cross,  but  in  Christ's  passion  and  death 
only,  and  in  his  own  sufferings  and  persecutions,  for  the 
same  truth  which  Christ  had  died  for  before* 

Mr.  Fox's  account  of  these  transactions,  collected 
from  ancient  manuscripts,  does  not,  in  general,  differ 
materially  from  the  archbishop's  own  registers  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  convocation.  But  there  are  some 
circumstances  noted  by  Mr.  Fox,  which  we  may  well 
suppose  to  have  been  designedly  omitted  in  the  registers 
last  mentioned.  For  example,  Mr.  Fox  informs  us  that 
the  court  were  so  amazed  a^  the  spirit  and  resolution  of 
the  Lord  Cobham,  as  well  as  at  the  quickness  and  per- 
tinence of  his  answers,  that  they  were  reduced  to  a  stand, 
"  their  wits  and  sophistry  so  failed  them  that  day." 

From  Arundel's  own  reports  it  is  sufficiently  clear, 
that  it  was  the  custom  of  that  artful  primate  to  make, 
on  these  occasions,  a  great  external  show  of  lenity  and 
kindness  to  the  prisoners,  at  the  very  moment  in  which 
he  was  exercising  towards  them  the  most  unrelenting 
barbarity.  In  the  case  of  William  Sawtre,  when  the 
archbishop  degraded  that  faithful  clergyman,  pronounced 
him  an  incorrigible  heretic,  and  delivered  him  to  the 
secular  power,  he  then,  with  the  most  consummate  hypo- 
crisy, requested  the  mayor  and  sheriffs  of  London,  to 

•  Fqs,  p.  642.     Convoc.  prselat.     Wilkins,  p.  356. 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

treat  their  prisoner  kindly,*  though  he  well  knew  they 
would  dare  to  show  him  no  other  kindness,  than  that  of 
burning  him  to  ashes. 

Sq  in  the  trial  of  Lord  Cobham,  nothing  could  exceed 
the  mild  and  affable  deportment  of  Arundel  during  the 
course  of  the  examinations.  The  registers  of  Lambeth 
Palace  inform  us,  that  the  archbishop  repeatedly  n»ade 
use  of  the  most  "  gentle,  modest,  and  sweet  terms,"  in 
addressing  the  prisoner;  that  with  mournful  looks  he 
entreated  him  to  return  into  the  bosom  of  the  church; 
and  that  after  he  had  found  all  his  endeavours  in  vain, 
he  was  compelled  with  the  bitterest  sorrow  to  proceed 
to  a  definitive  sentence. 

"The  day,"  said  Arundel,  "passes  away  fast:  we 
must  come  to  a  conclusion."  He  then,  for  the  last  time, 
desired  Lord  Cobliam,  to  weigh  well  the  dilemma  in 
which  he  stood:  "You  must  either  submit,"  said  he,  "to 
the  ordinances  of  the  church,  or  abide  the  dangerous 
consequences." 

Lord  Cobham  then  said  expressly  before  the  whole 
court,  ''  My  faith  is  fixed,  do  with  me  what  you  please." 

The  primate,  without  further  delay,  judged,  and  pro- 
nounced, Sir  John  Oldcastle,  the  Lord  Cobham,  to  be 
an  incorrigible,  pernicious,  and  detestable  heretic;  and 
having  condemned  him  as  such,  he  delivered  him  to  the 
secular  jurisdiction.! 

Lord  Cobham,  with  a  most  cheerful  countenance,  said, 
"  Though  ye  condemn  «ny  body,  which  is  but  a  wretched 
thing,  yet  I  am  well  assured  ye  can  do  no  harm  to  my 
souf  any  more  than  could  Satan  to  the  soul  of  Job.  He, 
that  created  it,  will  of  his  infinite  mercy  save  it.     Of  this 

*  Wilkins'  Coiicil.  p.  260,     Fox,  p.  589. 

t  Kymer,  vol.  ix.  p.  61—66.    Fox,  p.  642  k  3. 


Cent.15r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  137 

I  have  no  manner  of  doubt.  Arid  in  regard  to  the  articles 
of  my  behef,  I  will,  by  the  grace  of  the  eternal  God, 
stand  to  them,  even  to  my  very  death. ""  He  then  turned 
to  the  people,  and  stretciiing  out  his  hands,  cried  with  a 
very  loud  voice,  "  Good  Christian  people!  for  God's 
love,  be  well  aware  of  these  men;  else,  they  will  beguile 
you,  and  lead  you  blindfold  into  hell  with  themselves." 
Having  said  these  words,  he  fell  down  upon  his  knees, 
and,  lifting  up  his  hands  and  eyes  to  heaven,  he  prayed 
for  his  enemies-  in  the  following  words:  ''Lord  God 
Eternal!  I  beseech  thee  of  thy  great  mercy  to  forgive 
my  persecutors,  if  it  be  thy  blessed  will!" 

He  was  then  sent  back  to  the  Tower,  under  the  care  of 
Sir  Robert  Morley. 

Though  the  ecclesiastical  judges  of  Lord  Cobham,  by 
condemning  him  as  a  heretic,  and  delivering  him  to  the 
secular  power  for  the  execution  of  their  sentence,  appear 
to  have  done  their  utmost  to  complete  the  destruction  of 
the  man  whom  they  feared  and  hated,  there  is  yet  reason 
to  believe  that  both  the  king  and  the  archbishop  remain- 
ed in  some  perplexity  respecting  this  business.  In  reli- 
gious concerns,  this  able  monarch  seems  to  have  entirely 
resigned  his  understanding  to  the  direction  of  tlie  clergy; 
and  therefore  we  need  not  wonder  that  he  was  highly 
provoked  with  Lord  Cobham  for  his  opposition  to  the 
church,  and  still  more  for  his  incurable  obstiHacy,  in  ad- 
hering to  heretical  sentiments,  after  that  his  sovereign 
had  personally  condescended  to  persuade  him  to  recant. 
Yet,  after  all,  it  is  not  improbable  that  such  a  prince  as 
Henry  V.  should  still  retain  some  esteem  for  the  charac- 
ter of  the  prisoner  in  the  Tower,  who  on  many  occasions 
had  formerly  distinguished  himself  by  his  valour  and 
military  talents.     Though  the  memory  of  Henry  is  by  no 

Vol.  II.  '  S 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1 

means  free  from  the  imputation  of  cruelty,  it  must  at 
least  be  admitted,  that  the  present  situation  of  Cobham 
was  likely  to  soften  animosity,  and  to  revive  in  the  king's 
mind  any  latent  affection  for  his  favourite.  Even  Wal- 
singham,  a  bigoted  papist,  and  bitter  enemy  of  the  Lol- 
lards, though  in  many  respects  a  very  useful  historian, 
says,  that  Cobham,  "  for  his  integrity,  was  dearly  beloved 
by  tlie  king."* 

This  same  ancient  historian  informs  us,  that  the  arch- 
bishop in  person  went  to  the  king,  and  requested  his 
majesty  to  postpone,  for  the  space  of  fifty  days,  the  pu- 
nishment of  Lord  Cobham.f  If  this  be  true,  the  motives 
of  Arundel  can  be  no  great  mystery.  The  persecution 
of  this  virtuous  knight  was  a  most  unpopular  step.  His 
rank  and  character,  and  his  zeal  for  the  doctrines  of 
Wickliff,  had  pointed  him  out  to  the  primate  as  a  proper 
victim  of  ecclesiastical  severity;  but  his  condemnation 
involved,  in  a  general  odium,  the  rulers  of  the  church 
who  had  been  his  judges.  It  was  necessary,  therefore, 
to  temporize  a  little;  and  before  the  whole  sect  of  the 
Lollards  were  to  be  terrified  by  the  public  execution  of 
a  person  so  highly  esteemed  as  Lord  Cobham,  it  was 
thought  expedient  to  employ  a  few  weeks  in  lessening 
his  credit  among  the  people  by  a  variety  of  scandalous 
aspersions.  Mr.  Fox  assures  us,  that  his  adversaries 
scrupled  rrot  to  publish  a  recantation  in  his  name;  and 
that  Lord  Cobham  directed  a  paper  to  be  posted  up  in 
his  own  defence,  and  in  contradiction  to  the  slander. 

But,  whether  the  lenity  of  the  king,  or  the  politic  cau- 
tion of  the  clergy,  was  the  true  cause  of  the  delay,  it  is 
certain,  that  Lord  Cobham  was  not  put  to  death  imme- 

*  Regi  propter  probltatem  cliarus  et  uQceptiis.    Walsingham,  Henry  V. 
j-  Pa!?e  385. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  139 

diately  after  being  condemned  for  a  heretic.  lie  remain- 
ed some  weeks  in  the  Tower,  and  at  lenglii  by  unknown 
means  made  his  escape:  so  that  it  is  now  impossible  to 
say,  whether  the  clergy  would  ultimately  have  pressed 
the  sovereign  to  proceed  to  extremities  in  this  instance, 
or,  whether  Henry  could  have  been  induced  to  commit 
to  the  llames,  for  heresy,  a  favourite  of  such  exalted 
rank  and  high  reputation.  For  as  yet,  there  had  not 
been  any  instance  of  a  nobleman  suffering  in  that  igno- 
minious manner. 

After  Lord  Cobham  had  escaped  out  of  the  Tower, 
he  is  said  to  have  taken  the  advantage  of  a  dark  niglit, 
evaded  pursuit,  and  arrived  safe  in  Wales,  where  he 
concealed  himself  more  than  four  years.*  If  he  had  re- 
mained in  prison,  he  would  have  effectually  prevented 
the  calumny,  with  which  the  papists  have  endeavoured 
to  load  his  memory;  nevertheless,  when  we  reflect  on 
the  intrepid  spirit  of  the  man,  his  unshaken  resolution, 
and  the  cruel^  unjust  treatment  he  met  with,  we  cannot 
wonder  at  his  eagerness  to  fly  from  those  flames,  which 
his  persecutors  ardently  longed  to  kindle.  It  seems  as 
easy  to  comprehend  Lord  Cobham's  motives  for  wishing 
to  escape,  as  it  is  diflicult  to  censure  them. 

The  clergy  were  not  a  little  mortified  to  find,  that  this 
grand  heretic  and  destined  victim,  had  slipped  out  of 
their  hands;  and  their  uneasiness  was  increased,  by  ob- 
serving that  the  king  discovered  no  anxiety  to  have  Lord 
Cobham  retaken.  Soon  after  this  event,  however,  a  very 
remarkable  transaction  afforded  them  every  advantage 
they  could  wish,  to  gratify  their  resentment  against  the 
noble  chief  oi  the  Lollards.  These  peaceable  and  truly 
Christian  subjects  had  been  accustomed  to  assemble  in 

*  Bale. — Gilpin. 


*; 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

companies  for  the  purposes  of  devotion;  but  the  bishops 
represented  their  meetings  as  of  a  seditious  tendency, 
and  they  found  no  great  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  royal 
proclamation*  for  suppressing  the  conventicles  of  persons 
who  were  supposed  to  be  ill  inclined  to  the  government. 
Historians  have  observed,  that  "jealousy  was  the  ruling 
foible  of  the  house  of  Lancaster;"  and  though  Henry  V. 
was  naturally  of  a  noble  and  magnanimous  temper,  he 
could  never  forget  that  he  was  an  usurper:  his  suspicions 
of  the  evil  designs  of  the  Lollards  increased  to  a  high 
degree:  he  thought  it  necessary  to  watch  them,  as  his 
greatest  enemies;  and  he  appears  to  have  listened  to 
every  calumny,  which  the  zeal  and  hatred  of  the  hierar- 
chy could  invent  or  propagate  against  the  unfortunate 
followers  of  Wickliff. 

The  royal  proclamation,  however,  did  not  put  an  end 
to  the  assemblies  of  the  Lollards.  Like  the  primitive 
Christians,  they  met  in  smaller  companies,  and  more 
privately,  and  often ^in  the  dead  of  night.  St.  Giles's 
Fields,  then  a  thicket,  was  a  place  of  frequent  resort  on 
these  occasions.  And  here  a  number  of  them  assembled 
in  the  evening  of  January  the  sixth,  1414;  with  an  in- 
tention, as  was  usual,  of  continuing  together  to  a  very 
late  hour. 

The  king  was  then  at  Eltham,  a  few  miles  from  Lon- 
don. He  received  intelligence,  that  Lord  Cobham,  at 
the  head  of  twenty  thousand  of  his  party,  was  stationed 
in  St.  Giles's  Fields,  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  the  per- 
son of  the  king,  putting  their  persecutors  to  the  sword, 
and  making  himself  the  regent  of  the  realm. 

The  mind  of  Henry,  we  have  seen,  had  been  prepared, 
by  the  diligent  and  artful  representations  of  the  clergy, 

*  Rvmer,  vol.  ix. 


Cent.  15.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  141 

to  receive  any  impressions  against  the  Lollards,  which 
might  tend  to  lix  upon  that  persecuted  sect  the  charges 
of  seditious  or  treasonable  practices.  To  his  previous 
suspicions,  therefore,  as  well  as  to  the  gallantry  of  his 
temper,  we  are  to  ascribe  the  extraordinary  resolution, 
which  the  king  took  on  this  occasion.  He  suddenly 
armed  the  few  soldiers  he  could  muster,  put  himself  at 
their  head,  and  marched  to  the  place.  He  attacked  the 
Lollards,  and  soon  put  them  into  confusion.  About 
twenty  were  yjj'ed,  and  sixty  taken.*  Among  these  was 
one  Beverly,  t^ir  preacher,  who  with  two  others.  Sir 
Roger  Acton,  mid  John  Brown,  was  afterwards  put  to 
death.  The  king  marched  on,  but  found  no  more  bodies 
of  men.  He  thought  he  had  surprised  only  the  advanced 
guard;  whereas  he  had  routed  the  whole  army! 

It  has  been  supposed  that,  in  process  of  time,  the  king 
'^disbelieved  the  report  of  any  actual  conspiracy  in  this 
transaction:  and  it  must  be  confessed,  that  when  we  re- 
flect on  the  great  understanding  and  military  skill  of  this 
prince,  it  seems  extraordinary,  that  he  should  not  at  the 
first  have  reflected,  that  the  very  marshalling  of  such  a 
number  of  soldiers,  and  the  furnishing  of  them  with  ne- 
cessaries, could  never  have  been  managed  with  secrecy. 
He  appears,  however,  to  have  given  sufficient  credit  to 
the  calumny  to  answer  all  the  designs  of  the  ecclesiasti- 
cal rulers.  He  became  thoroughly  incensed  against  the 
Lollards,  and  particularly  against  the  Lord  Cobham.  A 
bill  of  attainder  against  that  unfortunate  nobleman  pass- 
ed the  commons,  through  the  royal  influence:!  the  king 
set  a  price  of  a  thousand  marks  upon  his  head,  and  pro- 
mised a  perpetual  exemption  from  taxes  to  any  town, 
that  should  secure  him. J 

*  Rapin,  Henry  V.  f  Gilpin,  :|:  Rapin. — Rymer. 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.l. 

It  was  to  be  expected  that  these  strong  measures,  aid- 
ed by  the  active  zeal  and  unrelenting  hatred  of  his  ene- 
mies, should  be  effective  to  the  discovery  of  Lord  Cob- 
ham:  and,  it  is  matter  of  some  surprise,  how  he  was  able, 
for  several  years,  to  elude  the  vigilance  of  the  many,  who 
narrowly  watched  him.  Wales  was  his  asylum;  and  he 
is  supposed  to  have  frequently  changed  the  scene  of  his 
retreat.  Through  the  diligence  of  Lord  Powis,  and  his 
dependants,  he  was  at  length  discovered  and  taken.  It 
was  on  the  tenth  of  October,  1413,  that  Lord  Cobham 
was,  by  Arundel,  condemned  as  a  heretic  and  sent  to 
the  Tower.  The  affair  of  St.  Giles's  happened  on  the 
evening  of  the  sixth  of  January,  1414;  and  it  was  not 
till  nearly  the  end  of  the  year  1417,  that  this  persecuted 
Christian  was  apprehended  and  brought  to  London. 

His  fate  was  soon  determined.  He  was  dragged  into 
St.  Giles's  Fields  with  all  the  insult  and  barbarity  of  en- 
raged superstition;  and  there,  both  as  a  traitor  and  a 
heretic,  he  was  suspended  alive  in  chains,  upon  a  gallows, 
and  burnt  to  death. 

This  excellent  man,  by  a  slight  degree  of  dissimulation, 
might  have  softened  his  adversaries,  and  have  escaped  a 
troublesome  persecution  and  a  cruel  death.  But,  sin- 
cerity is  essential  to  a  true  servant  of  Jesus  Christ;  and 
Lord  Cobham  died,  as  he  had  lived,  in  the  faith  and  hope 
of  the  Gospel;  and  bearing,  to  the  end,  a  noble  testimony 
to  its  genuine  doctrines;  and  "choosing  rather  to  suffer 
affliction  with  the  people  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the  plea- 
sures of  sin  for  a  season."* 

Henry  Chicheley,  now  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  con- 
tinued at  the  head  of  that  See,  from  February,  1414,  to 
April,  1443.1    This  man  deserves  to  be  called  the  fire- 

*  Heb.  xiv.  25,  f  Biograph.  Britan. — Henry's  Hist,  book  v. 


Cent.  13.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  143 

brand  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  To  subserve  the 
purposes  of  his  own  pride  and  tyranny,  he  engaged  king 
Henry  in  his  famous  contest  with  France,  by  which  a 
prodigious  carnage  was  made  of  the  human  race,  and 
the  most  dreadful  miseries  were  brought  upon  both  king- 
doms. But  Henry  was  a  soldier,  and  understood  the  art 
of  war,  though  perfectly  ignorant  of  religion;  and  that 
ardour  of  spirit,  which,  in  youth,  had  spent  itself  in  vicious 
excesses,  was  now  employed,  under  the  management  of 
Chicheley,  in  desolating  France,  by  one  of  the  most  un- 
just wars  ever  waged  by  ambition,  and  in  furnishing  for 
vulgar  minds  matter  of  declamation  on  the  valour  of  the 
English  nation.  While  this  scene  was  carrying  on  in 
France,  the  archbishop  at  home,  partly  by  exile,  partly 
by  forced  abjurations^  and  partly  by  the  flames,  domineer- 
ed over  the  Lollards;  and  almost  effaced  the  vestiges  of 
godliness  in  the  kingdom. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  gloomy  seasons,  which  the 
church  ever  experienced.  The  doctrines  of  Wickliif, 
indeed,  had  travelled  into  Bohemia;  but,  as  we  shall 
afterwards  see,  the  fires  of  persecution  were  also  lighted 
up  in  that  country,  at  the  same  time  that  in  England,  no 
quarter  was  given  to  any  professors  of  the  pure  religion 
of  Christ.  Even  the  duke  of  Bedford,  the  brother  of 
the  king,*  one  of  the  wisest  men  of  his  age,  thought  it 
no  dishonour  to  be  the  minister  of  Chicheley  s  cruelties. 
A  chaplain  of  Lord  Cobham,  through  terror  of  punish- 
ment, was  induced  to  recant  his  creed:  the  strictest 
search  was  made  after  Lollards  and  their  books;  and 
while  a  few  souls,  dispersed  through  various  parts,  sighed 
in  secret,  and,  detesting  the  reigning  idolatry,  worshipped 
God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  they  yet  found  no  human  con- 

*  Fox,  page  729. 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  (^Chap.  1. 

solation  or  support  whatever.  The  principal  use  to  be 
made  of  these  scenes,  is  to  excite  a  spirit  of  thankfulness 
for  the  superior  privileges  of  the  times  in  which  we  live. 

The  diocese  of  Kent,  was  particularly  exposed  to  the 
bloody  activity  of  Chicheley.  Whole  families  were 
obliged  to  relinquish  their  places  of  abode,  for  the  sake 
of  the  gospel. 

In  the  midst  of  these  tragedies,  and  in  the  year  14S2, 
died  Henry  V.  whose  military  greatness  is  known  to  most 
readers.  His  vast  capacity  and  talents  for  government, 
have  been  also  justly  celebrated.  But  what  is  man,  with- 
out the  genuine  fear  of  God?  This  monarch,  in  the 
former  part  of  his  life,  was  remarkable  for  dissipation  and 
extravagance  of  conduct;  in  the  latter,  he  became  the 
slave  of  the  popedom;  and  for  that  reason,  was  called 
the  prince  of  priests.  Voluptuousness,  ambition,  super- 
stition, each  in  their  turn,  had  the  ascendant  in  this  ex- 
traordinary character.  Such,  however,  is  the  dazzling 
nature  of  personal  bravery  and  of  prosperity,  that  even 
the  ignorance  and  folly  of  the  bigot,  and  the  barbarities 
of  the  persecutor,  are  lost  or  forgotten  amidst  the  enter- 
prises of  the  hero  and  the  successes  of  the  conqueror. 
Reason  and  justice  lift  up  their  voice  in  vain.  The  bat- 
tle of  Agincourt  throws  a  delusive  splendour  around  the 
name  of  this  victorious  king. 

The  persecution  of  the  Lollards  continued  during  the 
minority  of  Henry  VI.  William  Taylor,  a  priest,  was 
burnt,  because  he  had  asserted,  that  every  prayer  which 
is  a  petition  for  some  supernatural  gift,  is  to  be  directed 
only  to  God.*  The  four  orders  of  friars  were  directed 
by  the  archbishop  to  examine  him;  and  they  convicted 

•  Fox,  p.  749, 


■%. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  145 

him  of  heresy,  for  asserting  a  maxim,  which  pecuHarly 
distinguishes  true  rehgion  from  idolatry. 

Not  to  dwell  on  the  cases  of  many  persons  of  less 
note,  who  suffered  much  vexation  in  this  calamitous  pe- 
riod of  the  church,  it  may  be  proper  to  mention  William 
White,  who,  by  reading,  writing,  and  preaching,*  exerted 
himself  in  Norfolk  so  vigorously,  that  he  was  condemned 
to  the  stake  in  1424'.  His  holy  life  and  blameless  man- 
ners had  rendered  him  highly  venerable  in  that  country. 
He  attempted  tospeak  to  the  people  before  his  execu- 
tion, but  was  prevented.  It  is  remarkable,  that  his 
widow,  following  her  husband's  footsteps  in  purity  of  life 
and  in  zeal  for  the  gospel,  confirmed  many  persons  in 
evangelical  truth;  on  which  account  she  was  exposed  to 
much  trouble  from  the  bishop  of  Norwich. 

Nor  did  the  civil  wars  between  the  houses  of  York 
and  Lancaster,  which  filled  the  whole  kingdom  with 
confusion,  put  an  end  to  the  persecution  of  the  Lollards. 
A  person,  named  John  Gooze,  was  burnt  at  Tower-hill, 
in  the  reign  of  Edward  IV.  in  the  year  1 473.1  This 
victim  was  delivered  to  one  of  the  sheriffs,  with  an  order 
to  have  him  executed  in  the  afternoon.  The  officer, 
compassionating  the  case  of  his  prisoner,  took  him  to  his 
own  house,  and  endeavoured  to  prevail  on  him  to  retract. 
But  the  martyr,  after  listening  to  a  long  exhortation,  de- 
sired him  to  forbear:  and  then,  in  strong  terms,  request- 
ed something  to  eat,  declaring  he  was  become  very  hun- 
gry: the  sheriff  complied  with  his  request.  "  I  eat  now 
a  good  dinner,"  said  th^  man  very  cheerfully,  "  for  I 
shall  have  a  brisk  storm  to  pass  through  before  supper." 
After  he  had  dined,  he  gave  th&nks  to  God,  and  desired 

*  Fox,  p.  752.  t  Ib'.d.  p.  814. 

Vol..  n.  T 


^' 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.l. 

to  be  led  to  the  place,  where  he  should  give  up  his  soul 
to  his  Creator  and  Redeemer. 

The  civil  contests,  with  which  the  kingdom  were  con- 
vulsed, were  at  length  terminated  by  the  union  of  the 
two  houses  of  York  and  Lancaster,  at  the  accession  of 
Henry  VII.  But  the  church  of  God  continued  still  an 
unremitted  object  of  persecution.  The  sufferings  of  the 
Lollards  were  even  greater  during  the  established  govern- 
ments of  Henry  VII.  and  Henry  VIII.  than  they  had 
been  during  the  civil  wars.  Neither  age  nor  sex  were 
spared.  Mr.  Fox  has  collected,  from  the  registers  of  the 
diocese  of  Lincoln,  for  the  year  1521,  a  most  shocking 
catalogue,  both  of  the  accusers  and  of  the  victims,  who 
suffered  under  the  grievous  and  cruel  persecution  of 
bishop  Langland,  the  king's  confessor.  He  has  also, 
with  singular  industry,  recorded  the  particular  names  of 
many,  who,  through  fear  of  a  painful  death,  renounced 
their  faith  during  the  memorable  persecution  of  that  same 
year.  Upon  these  unfortunate  persons,  various  penances, 
and  many  very  severe  and  ignominious  punishments, 
were  inflicted.  Several,  who  were  found  to  have  ab- 
jured before,  were  condemned  for  relapse,  and  commit- 
ted to  the  flames. 

A  concise  account  of  a  person  named  John  Brown,  of 
Ashford,  in  Kent,  shall  conclude  this  distressing  detail  of 
the  sufferings  of  the  Lollards. 

This  martyr  suffered  in  the  year  1511,  under  the  per- 
secution of  William  Warham,  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
He  was  discovered  to  be  a  heretic,  as  follows:*  A  slight 
altercation  had  taken  place  between  him  and  a  priest,  as 
they  were  both  passing  down  to  Gravesend,  in  the  com- 
mon bai-ge.     The  priest  perceived  symptoms  of  heresy; 

*  Fox,  p.  551. 


Cent.  15.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  147 

arid  immediately  upon  landing,  lodged,  with  the  arch- 
bishop, an  information  against  Brown.  The  man  was 
suddenly  apprehended  by  two  of  the  archbishop's  ser- 
vants, who,  by  means  of  assistants,  placed  him  on  his 
own  horse,  bound  his  feet  under  the  horse's  belly,  and 
carried  him  to  Canterbury,  where  he  remained  in  con- 
finement forty  days;  during  which  time  neither  his  wife, 
nor  any  of  his  friends,  could  receive  the  smallest  intima- 
tion concerning  him. 

At  length  he  was  brought  to  Ashford,  the  town  where 
he  lived,  and  placed  in  the  stocks.  It  was  now  almost 
night;  but,  one  of  his  own  female  domestics,  in  passing  by 
the  place,  happened  to  become  acquainted  with  his  situ- 
ation, and  she  instantly  carried  home  to  her  mistress  the 
afflicting  news.  His  mournful  wife  sat  near  her  husband 
all  the  night,  and  heard  him  relate  the  melancholy  story 
of  every  thing  that  had  happened  to  him.  The  treat- 
ment this  good  man  had  met  with,  from  Warham,  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  from  Fisher,*  bishop  of 
Rochester,  was  infamous  in  the  extreme.  With  un- 
paralleled barbarity,  they  had  directed  his  bare  feet  to  bp 

*  Fisher  was  born  at  Beverly  in  Yorkshire,  in  1459.  He  was  educated  at 
Cambridge,  and  became  master,  or  president  of  Queen's  College  in  that  Uni- 
versity. He  was  made  bishop  of  Rochester  in  1504.  It  was  during  the  time 
of  his  presidentship  that  Erasmus  came  to  study  at  Cambridge,  and  took  up  his 
residence  at  Queen's  College.  This  prelate  was  beheaded,  by  Henry  VIU.  in 
1535,  for  denying  the  king's  supremacy,  and  for  speaking  with  freedom  m 
behalf  of  the  queen.  The  pope  was  so  pleased  with  his  conduct,  that,  even 
while  Fisher  was  confined  in  the  Tower  and  attainted  of  high  treason,  he 
made  him  a  cardinal,  and  sent  him  the  proper  hat  belonging  to  that  dignity. 
Henry  was  so  much  provoked,  that  he  would  not  permit  the  liat  to  be  brought 
into  the  kingdom :  he  also  sent  Cromwell  to  sound  bishop  Flslier,  whether  he 
intended  to  accept  it.  "Yes,"  said  Fisher.  The  king  then  exclaimed  with  an 
oath,  "  Well,  let  the  pope  send  him  the  hat  when  he  pleases,  he  shall  wear  it 
on  his  shoulders,  for  I  will  leave  him  never  a  head  to  set  it  on."  The  tyrant 
was  as  good  as  his  word. — Erasmus  speaks  of  Fisher  in  strong  terms  of  com- 
mendation. 


i.    1:  ' 


148  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/iflj;.  3. 

placed  upon  hot  burning  coals;  and  lobe  kept  there,  till 
they  were  burnt  to  the  bones.  Notwithstanding  all  this. 
Brown  would  not  deny  his  -faith,  but  patiently  endured 
the  pain,  and  continued  immovable,  fighting  manfully  the 
"  good  fight."  To  his  wife  he  then  said,  "  The  bishops, 
good  Elizabeth,  have  burnt  my  feet,  till  I  cannot  set 
them  on  the  ground:  they  have  done  so  to  make  me  deny 
my  Lord;  but,  I  thank  God,  they  will  never  be  able  to 
make  me  do  that:  for,  if  I  should  deny  him  in  this  world, 
he  would  deny  me  hereafter.  Therefore,  I  pray  thee, 
continue,  as  thou  hast  begun,  and  bring  up  thy  children 
in  the  fear  of  God.  Thy  husband  is  to  be  consumed  at 
the  stake  to-morrow." 

He  was  burnt,  on  Whitsun-even,  lifting  up  his  hands, 
and  uttering  the  most  fervent  prayers,  particularly  the 
words  of  the  psalmist,  "  Into  thy  hands  I  commend  my 
spirit;  for  thou  hast  redeemed  me,  0  Lord,  thou  God 
of  truth."* 

Such  were  the  sanguinary  methods  by  which  the  pre- 
lates of  England  attempted  to  extirpate  LoUardism  and 
heresy.  And  they  so  far  succeeded,  that  the  few  dis- 
ciples of  Wickliff,  who  still  remained  alive,  seem  to  have 
been  afterwards  confounded  with  the  favourers  of  the 
grand  reformation:  but,  in  their  main  object  of  strength- 
ening the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  they  utterly  failed. 
The  burning  of  heretics,  was  found  to  be  not  the  way  to 
extinguish  heresy.  On  the  contrary,  both  in  England 
and  on  the  Continent,  such  detestable  cruelty  increased 
the  compassion  of  the  people  for  the  sufferers,  excited 
their  indignation  against  the  persecutors,  and  roused  a 
spirit  of  inquiry  and  of  opposition  to  the  existing  hierar- 
chy, which  at  length,  under  tiie  direction  of  a  kind,  over- 

*  Mr.  Fox  tells  us,  he  had  tliis  account  from  Brown's  nwn  daughter. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  MS 

ruling  Providence,  proved  fatal  both  to  papal  corruptions 
of  sound  doctrine,  and  also  to  papal  usurpation  of  do- 
minion. 

When  the  human  mind  has  been  thus  fatigued  and 
disgusted  with  a  review  of  the  cruelties  of  popish  perse- 
cutors, it  is  disposed  to  pronounce  the  Roman  religion 
wiiolly  a  pretence,  and  all  the  ecclesiastical  judges  and 
rulers  of  those  times,  barbarous  hypocrites  and  deceivers. 
"It  is  impossible,"  we  are  apt  to  say,  "  but  that  natural 
conscience  should  have  informed  them  they  were  doing 
wrong,  in  committing  to  the  flames,  for  slight  diflerences 
of  opinion,  so  many  innocent  victims;  nay,  often,  persons 
of  the  most  exemplary  life  and  conversation."  However, 
a  more  cool  and  sedate  reflection  may  convince  us,  that 
though,  in  all  ages,  there  have  existed  wicked  men  of 
great  ability,  who  have  shown  themselves  ever  ready  to 
sacrifice  principle  and  conscience  to  their  ambition  and 
avarice,  and  even  to  wade  through  much  blood  in  support 
of  their  darling  objects,  yet  all  tormentors  of  the  human 
race  have  not  been  precisely  of  this  class.  These  are  of 
the  first  magnitude,  and  we  suppose  them  to  have  had 
their  eyes  open.  But  there  are  others,  who  knew  not 
what  they  did;*  and  towards  such,  therefore,  though  we 
are  never  to  palhate  their  faults,  much  less  to  defend 
their  enormities,  yet  are  we  bound  to  exercise  an  equit- 
able discrimination.  The  reader  will  understand  me  to 
have  in  view,  those  deluded  votaries,  who  have  had  the 
misfortune  to  be  taught,  and  the  weakness  to  believe,  that 
the  favour  of  God  is  to  be  obtained,  chiefly  by  paying  a 
scrupulous  regard  to  external  forms  and  observances. 

*  Luke  xxiii.  34 


150  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  % 

CHAPTER  II. 

John  IIuss,  and  Jerom  of  Prague. 

In  the  year  1414,  met  the  council  of  Constance.  Its 
objects  were  various  and  of  high  importance.*  The  ne- 
cessity of  the  times  had  called  aloud  for  an  assembly  of 
this  kind.  Ecclesiastical  corruptions  had  increased  to 
an  intolerable  magnitude:  and  Christendom  had  been 
distracted,  nearly  forty  years,  by  a  schism  in  the  pope- 
dom. To  settle  this  dispute,  and  restore  peace  to  the 
church,  was  the  most  urgent  concern  of  the  council. 
Three  pretenders  to  the  chair  of  St  Peter,  severally,  laid 
claim  to  infallibility.  The  very  nature  of  their  struggle 
was  subversive  of  the  authority  to  which  each  of  them 
made  pretensions;  and  "  of  their  vain  contest  there  seem- 
ed no  end.^'  The  princes,  statesmen,  and  rulers  of  the 
church,  in  those  times,  wanted  not  discernment  to  see 
the  danger  to  which  the  whole  ecclesiastical  system  was 
exposed  by  these  contentions;  but  it  seems  never  to  have 
come  into  the  minds  of  them,  or  of  any  of  the  members 
of  the  council,  to  examine  the  foundation  on  which  the 
popedom  itself  was  erected.  That,  on  all  sides,  was 
looked  on  as  sacred  and  inviolable,  though  allowed  to  be 
burdened  and  incumbered  with  innumerable  abuses. 

However,  they  deposed  the  three  existing  popes,  and 
chose  a  fresh  successor  of  St.  Peter,  Martin  V.;  and  we 
are  to  remark  a  providential  benefit,  which  arose  from 
the  accomplishment  of  this  first  object  of  the  council: 

*  L'Enfant's  History  of  the  Council  of  Constance. — It  is  foreign  to  my  de- 
sign to  follow  this  author  through  the  details  of  his  very  accurate  and  circum- 
stantial narration.  The  affairs,  however,  of  John  Huss  and  of  Jerom,  deserve 
a  minute  attention. 


Cent.  15.2  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  151 

namely,  that  while  they  had  their  eye  only  on  the  resto- 
ration of  the  unity  of  the  Roman  See,  they  were  led  to 
decree  the  superiority  of  councils  over  popes.  Thus  a 
deep  wound  was  given  to  the  tyrannical  hierarchy,  which 
proved  of  considerable  service  to  those  real  reformers, 
who  arose  about  a  hundred  years  after  the  council  of 
Constance. 

I  say  real  reformers;  for,  I  cannot  give  this  venerable 
name  to  the  members  of  that  assembly.  That  there 
needed  a  reformation  of  the  church  in  all  its  component 
parts,  and  that  church  discipline  ought  to  be  re-establish- 
ed, these  w^ere  ideas,  indeed,  which  lay  within  their  com- 
petence; and  the  members  of  this  council  universally 
confessed,  that  reformation  and  discipline  ought  to  be 
prosecuted  with  vigour.  But  they  brought  not  to  the 
council  the  materials,  which  only  could  qualify  them 
for  such  a  work.  In  general,  the  best  individuals  among 
them  were  merely  moralists;  had  some  "  zeal  for  God, 
but  not  according  to  knowledge;"  and  knew  no  higher 
principles  than  the  voice  of  natural  conscience,  the  dic- 
tates of  common  sense,  and  some  information  concern- 
ing the  preceptive  part  of  Christianity.  Their  system  of 
religion  was  letter,  not  spirit;  law,  not  gospel.  They 
had  some  degree  of  insight  into  the  distemper  of  human 
nature,  little  or  none  into  the  remedy.  To  promote  the 
recovery  of  depraved  mankind,  they  knew  no  methods 
but  those  of  moral  suasion,  upon  principles  merely  natu- 
ral. The  original  depravity  of  man,  salvation  through 
the  atonement  of  a  Redeemer,  and  regeneration  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  were  doctrines,  the  use  and  efficacy  of 
which  they  did  not  understand:  yet,  these  are  the  only 
effectual  instruments  for  the  reformation  either  of  a  cor- 
rupted church,  or  of  a  corrupted  individual,  though  they 


152  HlSTOllY  OF  THE  [C/iap.  2. 

are,  by  the  world,  generally  suspected  to  be  productive 
of  enthusiasm,  and  are  also  too  often  professed  by  men 
of  counterfeit  religion. 

How  could  it  be  expected  thstt  popes  and  cardinals, 
bishops  and  clergy,  would  enact,  and,  what  is  still  more, 
would  execute,  laws,  which  bore  hard  on  their  own 
pride,  their  sloth,  and  their  love  of  gain?  Or,  that  the 
laity,  noble  or  vulgar,  would  submit  to  strict  rules  of 
church  discipline?  Nothing  but  the  principle  of  divine 
love  in  the  heart  could  effect  these  things;  and  divine 
love  is  learnt  only  in  the  school  of  Christ,  and  under  the 
fostering  influence  of  Scripture  doctrine,  connected  with 
spiritual  discernment.*  I  need  not  put  the  reader  in 
mind,  how  ignorant  in  general,  in  regard  to  these  things, 
men  were  in  the  fifteenth  century.  And  hence  we  are 
no  more  to  wonder  at  the  failure  of  the  attempts  of  the 
council  of  Constance,  than  at  the  inefficacy  of  the  com- 
plaints, made  from  age  to  age,  of  the  wickedness  of  men, 
both  by  philosophers  of  old  and  by  nominal  Christians  in 
our  own  times,  while  those  who  complain,  and  even  en- 
deavour to  effect  reforms,  are  destitute  of  real  Christian 
perceptions,  and  regard  no  other  light  than  that  of  mere 
nature.  Thus  the  institution  of  mere  laws,  however 
good,  "  can  never  give  life;'"f  "the  motions  of  sin  by  the 
law  work  in  our  members  to  bring  forth  fruit  unto 
death."J  If  even  the  best  characters,  among  the  pro- 
digious congregation  at  Constance,  thus  failed,  through 
ignorance  of  the  true  method  of  relieving  human  evils, 
we  need  not  be  surprised,  that  those  who  were  actuated 
by  bad  motives,  should  contribute  nothing  towards  a  real 
reformation.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  prevailing 
abuses  remained  in  the  cluirch  in  full  force.    The  coun- 

'"  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  T  Gal.  iii.  i  Rom.  vii 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  153 

cil  managed  to  restore  unity  to  the  popedom,  which  was 
indeed  a  very  difficult  point;  but  they  found  it  more  easy 
to  procure  consent  to  the  deposition  of  wicked  popes, 
than  to  compel  the  clergy  to  divest  themselves  of  that 
avarice,  auibition,  and  sensuality,  which  were  the  grand 
sources  of  the  existing  ecclesiastical  disorders.*  How- 
ever, that  which  men  attempted  in  vain  by  methods 
merely  human,  God  himself,  about  a  century  afterwards, 
effected,  by  the  foolishness  of  preachiijg,f  and  by  his  own 
spirit  of  grace. 

The  knights  of  the  Teutonic  order,  at  this  time  ranged 
through  all  their  own  neiglibourhood  with  fire  and  sword, 
under  the  pretence  of  converting  infidels,  and  had  been 
justly  complained  of  by  the  king  of  Poland:  yet  this 
council  supported  them  in  their  enormities;  nor  would 
they  even  condemn  a  libel  written  by  a  monk,  who  had 
exhorted  all  Christians  to  murder  that  monarch,  and  to 
massacre  the  Poles.  John  Petit,  a  friar,  had  publicly 
vindicated  the  assassination,  committed  by  the  duke  of 
Burgundy's  order  on  the  duke  of  Orleans,  brother  to 
the  king  of  France.  It  may  seem  incredible,  but  it  is 
true,  that  the  king  of  France,  who  prosecuted  this  friar 
before  the  council  of  Constance,  could  not  procure  his 
iiondemnation.  All  the  dignified  orders  in  Europe,  there 
assembled  together,  had  not  sufficient  spirit  and  integrity 
to  punish  crimes  of  the  most  atrocious  nature.  Yet  they 
could  burn  without  mercy  those  whom  they  deemed  he- 
retics, though  men  of  real  godliness.  This  part  of  the 
conduct  of  the  assembly,  particularly  deserves  our  atten- 
tion; and  stiff  more  so,  if  we  keep  constantly  in  mind 
who  the  members  were  that  composed  it.  Italy,  France, 
Germany,  Bohemia,  Hungary,  Poland,  England,  Den- 

*  L'Enfant.  f  1  Cor.  i. 

Vol.  II.  U 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.C:. 

mark,  Sweden  were  represented  by  deputies:  four  elec- 
tors were  present,  namely,  those  of  Mentz,  and  Saxony, 
the  elector  of  Palatine,  and  the  burgrave  of  Nuremberg, 
who  there  received  the  electoral  cap;  besides  envoys 
from  the  other  electors:  the  emperor  Sigismund  was 
never  absent,  unless  employed  in  the  express  business  of 
the  council.  Many  other  German  princes  were  present, 
besides  the  clergy,  among  whom  were  twenty  arch- 
bishops, nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  bishops,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  other  dignitaries,  and  more  than  two 
hundred  doctors. 

John  Huss  had  been  summoned  to  the  council,  to 
answer  for  himself,  though  already  excommunicated  at 
Rome.  He  obtained,  however,  a  safe  conduct*  from  the 
emperor,  who,  in  conjunction  with  his  brother  Wences- 
laus,  king  of  Bohemia,  had  committed  him  to  the  care  of 
several  Bohemian  lords,  particularly  of  John  de  Chlum. 
These  travelled  with  him  to  Constance,  where  they  ar- 
rived six  days  after  the  pope. 

John  Huss  was  born  in  Bohemia,  in  1373.  He  was 
of  mean  parentage,  but  was  raised  to  eminence  by  his 
superior  genius  and  industry.  All  the  authors  of  that 
time  acknowledged,  that  he  was  a  man  of  capacity  and 
eloquence,  and  highly  esteemed  for  the  probity  and  de- 
cency of  his  manners.  This  is  the  testimony  of  the 
famous  ^neas  Sylvius,  afterwards  pope  of  Rome.  But 
the  letters  of  Huss,  written  from  Constance,  which  he 
especially  requested  might  never  be  published,  afford  a 
still  more  striking  attestation  to  his  character.  He  was 
appointed  rector  of  the  university  of  Prague,  which  was 

*  A  safe  conduct  here  means  an  engag-ement  in  writing  that  he  should  be 
allowed  to  pass  and  repass  without  molestation.  The  very  words  of  it  were, 
"  oiflni  prorsus  innipedimento  remote ;  stare,  morari  &:  redire,  libere  permittati? 
slbique  Sc  stiis." 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  155 

then  in  a  very  flourishing  state.  His  character  was  no 
less  eminent  in  the  church  than  in  the  academy.  He 
was  nominated  preacher  of  Bethlehem  in  the  year  1400; 
and  was  in  the  same  year  made  confessor  to  Sophia  of 
Bavaria,  the  wife  of  Wenceslaus  king  of  Bohemia,  a 
princess  who  highly  esteemed  John  Huss,  and  was  a 
personage  of  great  merit:  how  far  she  was  allected  by 
the  doctrine  which  he  preached,  it  is  not  easy  to  ascer- 
tain, but  there  is  no  doubt  that,  after  his  condemnation, 
she  was  obliged,  by  the  order  of  the  emperor  Sigismund, 
to  retire  to  Presburg. 

In  1405  Huss  preached  in  the  chapel  of  Bethlehem 
with  great  celebrity.  Some  of  Wickliff's  works  had 
been  brought  into  Bohemia  by  a  Bohemian  gentleman 
named  Faulfisch,  when  he  returned  from  Oxford.  Hence, 
and  probably  by  other  modes  of  conveyance,  the  evan- 
gelical views  of  the  English  reformer  were  introduced 
into  that  country.  It  is  not  easy  to  determine  tlie  point 
of  time,  when  John  Huss  received  a  favourable  impres- 
sion of  the  works  of  Wickliflf.  At  first  he  is  said  to  have 
held  them  in  detestation.  The  effect  of  prejudice  in- 
deed on  a  serious  mind,  against  a  person  who  has  been 
condemned  for  heresy,  was  not  easily  to  be  overcome; 
and  it  is  not  impossible,  but  that  Luther's  account  of  his 
own  first  reception  of  the  works  of  Huss  might  resemble 
the  celebrated  Bohemian's  reception  of  the  works  of 
Wickliff.  "  When  I  studied  at  Erford,"  says  that  truly 
great  man,  "  I  found  in  the  library  of  the  convent,  a 
book  entitled,  'The  Sermons  of  John  Huss.^  I  was 
anxious  to  know  the  doctrines  of  that  arch-heretic.  My 
astonishment  in  the  reading  of  them  was  incredible. 
What,  thought  I,  could  move  the  council  to  burn  so  great 
a  man,  so  able  and  judicious  an  expositor  of  Scripture! 


156  HISTORY  OF  THK  lChap.2. 

But  then  the  name  of  Huss  was  held  in  abomination:  if 
I  mentioned  him  with  honour,  I  imagined  the  sky  would 
fall,  and  the  sun  be  darkened;  I  therefore  shut  the  book 
with  indignation.  But  I  comforted  myself  with  the  thought, 
that  perhaps  he  had  written  this  before  he  fell  into  here- 
sy!" Such  were  the  juvenile  reflections  of  that  renown- 
ed reformer. 

But  it  is  not  in  the  power  of  prejudice  to  prevent  the 
progress  of  the  Divine  counsels,  and  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart.  Notwithstanding  the  opposi- 
tion of  prejudice,  habit,  and  natural  corruptions,  Huss 
was  gradually  convinced  of  the  power  and  excellency  of 
evangehcal  doctrine.  It  was  not  necessary  that  he  should 
see  all  things  in  the  same  light  as  other  reformers;  but 
there  are  certain  truths,  in  which  all,  who  are  taught  of 
God,  in  every  age,  do  and  must  agree;  and  certain  points 
of  experience  also  in  religion,  in  which  it  is  even  impos- 
sible for  them  to  differ.  The  doctrinal  knowledge  of  the 
Bohemian  reformer  was  indeed  always  very  limited  and 
defective;  but  the  little  fundamental  light  which,  through 
grace,  he  attained,  was  directed  to  the  best  practical 
purposes.  He  preached  loudly  against  the  abuses  of  the 
Romish  church,  and  particularly  against  the  impostures 
of  false  miracles,  which  then  abounded.  And  about  the 
same  year,  1405,  he  also  preached  in  a  synod  at  Prague, 
in  the  archbishop's  presence,  with  amazing  freedom 
against  the  vices  of  the  clergy. 

It  was  impossible,  that  a  man  who  rendered  himself  so 
obnoxious  to  the  hierarchy,  should  escape  the  aspersions 
of  calumny:  accordingly  we  find,  that  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1408,  and  the  beginning  of  1409,  a  clamour 
was  raised  against  him  on  the  following  occasion.*     Gre- 

*  Page  29,  L'Enfunt. 


fenM5.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  157 

gory  XII.  one  of  the  three  popes,  whose  schism  g-ave  rise 
to  the  council  of  Constance,  was  received  by  Bohemia. 
But  when  measures  were  proposed  for  calling  a  gene- 
ral council  to  compose  the  schism,  Huss  engaged  the 
university  to  support  those  measures,  and  exhorted  all 
Bohemia  to  the  same  purpose.  The  archbishop  of 
Prague,  who  was  attached  to  Gregory,  opposed  Huss,  call- 
ed him  a  schismatic,  and  forbad  him  to  exercise  the  pasto- 
ral functions  in  his  diocese.  About  the  same  time,  on  oc- 
casion of  a  dispute  between  the  natives  and  the  foreign- 
ers who  belonged  to  the  university,  FIuss  having  support- 
ed the  former,  and  gained  his  point,  the  Germans  in  dis- 
gust retired  from  Prague.  This  circumstance  enabled 
the  Bohemian  teacher  to  speak  more  publicly  according 
to  the  views  of  WicklifT.  The  archbishop  of  Prague 
committed  the  books  of  the  latter  to  the  flames  in  1410. 
But  the  progress  of  his  opinions  was  rather  accelerated 
than  retarded  by  this  step. 

The  troubles  of  John  Huss  were  now  multiplied.  He 
was  excommunicated  at  Rome.  He  had  sent  his  proc- 
tors thither,  to  answer  for  him;  but  they  were  committed 
to  prison,*  after  having  remained  there  to  no  purpose  a 
year  and  a  half.  Huss,  after  his  excommunication,  had 
no  other  remedy,  but  to  appeal  to  Almighty  God  in  very 
solemn  terms.  In  his  appeal,  which  was  charged  on  him 
as  a  crime,  among  many  other  things,  he  says,  "  Almighty 
God,  the  one  only  essence  in  three  persons,  is  the  first 
and  last  refuge  of  those  who  are  oppressed.  Our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  very  God  and  very  Man,  being  desirous  to 
redeem,  from  eternal  damnation,  his  children,  elected 
before  the  foundation  of  the  w^orld,  has  given,  by  suffer- 
ing a  bloody  and  ignominious  death,  this  excellent  ex- 

"'  L'Enfant,  page  33. 


158  HISTORY  OF  'HiE  IChap.Q. 

ample  to  his  disciples,  to  commit  their  cause  to  the  judg- 
meut  of  God."  He  continued  stil!  to  preach  on  subjects, 
which  he  deemed  seasonable  and  useful.  In  one  sermon 
he  treated  of  the  uses  of  the  commemoration  of  the  saints, 
among  which,  he  reckons  meditation  on  the  misery  of 
man,  subject  to  death  for  sin;  and  on  the  death  which 
Jesus  Christ  suffered  for  our  sin.  In  this  ^me  sermon, 
while  he  zealously  opposes  the  abuses  of  the  times,  he 
discovers  that  he  himself  was  not  yet  entirely  clear  of 
the  popish  notion  of  purgatory.  "  In  praying  devoutly 
for  the  dead,"  says  he,  "  we  procure  relief  to  the  saints 
in  purgatory."  It  is  sufficiently  plain,  however,  that  he 
could  not  lay  much  stress  on  the  prayers  of  the  living  for 
th«  dead;  for  he  also  says  expressly,  "that  there  is  no 
mention  of  such  a  practice  in  the  Holy  Scriptures;  and, 
that  neither  the  prophets  nor  Jesus  Christ,  nor  his  apos- 
tles, nor  the  saints  that  followed  close  after,  taught  prayer 
for  the  dead."  "  I  verily  believe,"  continues  Huss,  "  this 
custom  was  introduced  by  the  avarice  of  priests,  who 
don't  trouble  tliemselves  to  exhort  the  people  to  live  well, 
as  did  the  prophets,  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  apostles;  but 
take  great  care  to  exhort  them  to  make  rich  offerings, 
in  hopes  of  happiness  and  a  speedy  delivery  from  pur- 
gatory." 

At  length  John  Huss  was  forbidden  to  preach  at 
Prague  any  more.  All  that  he  could  then  do  was  to  in- 
struct his  countrymen  by  writings.  Being  summoned, 
as  we  have  seen,  to  Constance,  he  obeyed;  and  before 
his  departure,  offered  to  give  an  account  of  his  faith  in 
the  presence  of  a  provincial  synod  at  Prague,  but  was 
not  able  to  obtain  an  audience.  In  this  and  some  other 
particulars,  he  appears  to  have  acted  with  great  frank- 
ness aud  sincerity;  and,  though  his  mind  strongly  for- 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  i59 

boded  that  which  happened  in  the  issue,  his  resolution  to 
appear  at  the  general  council  was  constant  and  unmoved. 
By  a  letter,*  which  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  immediately 
before  he  left  Prague,  he  intreats  him,  on  the  outside  of 
it,  not  to  open  the  letter,  till  he  should  have  had  certain 
news  of  his  death.  And  among  other  things,  he  says, 
''You  know,  wo  is  me! — before  my  priesthood  I  freely 
and  frequently  played  at  chess,  neglected  my  time,  and 
often  unhappily  provoked  others  and  myself  into  blame- 
able  heat  of  temper  by  that  game."  About  the  same 
time  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  flock,  in  terms  which  show- 
ed how  much  their  spiritual  advantage  lay  at  his  heart. 
He  exhorted  them  to  steadfastness  in  the  doctrine  which 
he  had  taught  them;  prayed  for  grace  that  he  himself 
might  persevere,  and  not  betray  the  gospel  by  cowardice; 
and  he  begged  them  also  to  pray,  that  he  might  either 
glorify  God  by  martyrdom,  or  return  to  Prague  with  an 
unblemished  conscience,  and  with  more  vigour  than  ever 
to  extirpate  the  doctrine  of  antichrist.  He  expressed' 
himself  to  be  very  uncertain  of  the  event;  but  spake  like 
one  resigned  to  the  Divine  will,  and  joyful  to  die  for  the 
cause  of  Christ.  In  the  course  of  his  journey  to  Con- 
stance, he  acted  the  same  open  part,  and  every  where 
declared  his  readiness  to  be  heard  by  all  mankind.  Such 
was  the  character  and  conduct  of  Huss,  who  arrived  at 
Constance  six  days  after  the  pontiff  John  XXHI. 

On  the  succeeding  day,  he  gave  notice  of  his  arrival 
to  the  pope,  through  his  friend  John  de  Chlum,  who  at 
the  same  time  implored  for  bim  the  protection  of  his  ho- 
liness. This  pope  himself  was  then  in  much  fear  on  his 
own  account,  and  it  behoved  him  not,  in  his  present  cir- 
cumstances, to  exercise  the  fulness  of  papal  domination. 

*  L'Enfant,  p.  40. 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.% 

He  therefore  answered  courteously;  declared  that  he 
would  use  all  his  power  to  prevent  any  injustice  being* 
done  to  him  while  at  Constance;  and  he  took  off  his  ex- 
communication. 

John  Huss  appears  to  have  expected  that  he  should 
have  been  allowed  to  preach  before  the  council;  for  he 
had  prepared  for  that  purpose,  sermons,  which  are  in- 
serted among  his  works. 

Those  who  look  only  at  the  surface  of  religion,  might 
be  tempted  to  think,  that  the  council  in  general  was  in- 
fluenced by  the  Spirit  of  God.  In  all  their  public  ses- 
sions they  sang  an  anthem,  and  then  they  prayed  kneel- 
ing.f  After  having  remained  some  time  in  this  posture, 
a  deacon  called  out  to  them  to  rise;  and  the  president, 
with  a  loud  voice,  addressed  himself  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  a  collect,  which,  in  very  solemn  and  explicit  terms, 
supplicated  his  effectual  influence,  that,  notwithstanding 
the  enormity  of  their  sins,  which  filled  them  with  dread, 
he  would  deign  to  descend  into  their  hearts,  to  direct 
them,  to  dictate  their  decrees,  and  to  execute  them  him- 
self, and  also  to  preserve  their  minds  from  corrupt  pas- 
sions, and  not  suffer  them,  through  ignorance  or  selfish- 
ness, to  swerve  from  justice  and  truth.  The  ideas,  and 
perhaps  the  very  words,  of  the  prayer,  were  taken  from 
better  times,  when  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost  were 
not  only  professed,  hui  felt,  in  Christian  assemblies.  The 
formalities  of  true  religion  often  remain  a  long  time,  after 
the  spirit  of  it  has  been  almost  extinguished.  It  is  not 
easy  to  say  how  much  wickedness  may  be  united  with 
religious  formalities.  The  rulers  and  great  men  of  the 
Jewish  nation,  in  the  time  of  Christ,  were  remarkable 
examples  of  the  hypocrisy  here  alluded  to;  and  those, 

*  L'Enfant,  p.  43.  t  L'Enfant,  p.  50.- 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  161 

who  are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  their  flagitious 
conduct,  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear  of  similar  instances. 
Both  the  emperor  Sigismund  and  his  consort  Barba  at- 
tended the  religious  ceremonies  of  this  council,  and  both 
were  infamous  for  lewdness.* 

Sigismund  in  a  deacon's  habit  read  the  gospel,  while 
the  pope  celebrated  mass! 

Huss  was  soon  deprived  of  his  liberty,  in  the  following 
manner.  He  was  accused  by  Paletz,  professor  of  di- 
vinity at  Prague,  and  by  Causis,  a  pastor  of  one  of  the 
parishes  of  the  same  city.  These  men  caused  bills  to  be 
posted  up  against  him  in  Constance,  as  an  excommuni- 
cated heretic.  When  Huss  complained,  the  pope  re- 
plied, "  What  can  I  do  in  the  case?  your  own  country- 
menf  have  done  it."  The  bishops  of  Augsburg  and  of 
Trent  were  directed  to  summon  him  to  appear  before 
John  XXni.  "  I  had  expected,''  said  Huss,  "  to  give  an 
account  of  myself  before  the  general  council,  and  not 
before  the  pope  and  his  cardinals;  however,  I  am  willing 
to  lay  down  my  life,  rather  than  to  betray  the  truth." 
He  set  out  therefore  without  delay,  accompanied  by  his 
generous  friend  John  de  Chlum.  On  his  arrival  at  the 
pope's  palace,  he  was  committed  to  prison.  Chlum  made 
loud  complaints  to  the  pope,  but  in  vain.  Eight  articles 
were  exhibited  against  Huss  by  Causis;  and  the  pope 
appointed  commissioners  to  try  him.  The  vexations  and 
insults,  to  which  he  was  exposed,  were  endless:  and  there 
was  this  peculiar  injustice  practised  against  him,  that  he 
was  accused  of  being  more  inimical  to  the  doctrines  of 
the  church  of  Rome,  than  he  really  was.     Whatever 

*  iEneas  Sylvius,  Hist. 

t  Pilate  answered.  Am  I  a  Jew  ?  thine  own  nation,  and  the  chief  priests  have 
delivered  thee  unto  nie.     John  xviii.  35. 
Vol.  II.  X 


IQ2  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.% 

Wickliff  maJHtained,  Hiiss  was  accused  of  maintaining: 
nor  were  his  own  express  declarations  respected,  par- 
ticularly in  regard  to  transubstantiation,  a  doctrine,  which 
he  certainly  believed,  and  on  which  he  wrote  his  thoughts 
while  under  confinement  at  Constance.  Such,  however, 
was  the  strength  of  mind  with  which  he  was  endowed, 
that  during  the  same  period,  he  wrote  also  several  tracts 
on  subjects  of  practical  godliness,  which  were  sent  to 
Prague  by  friends  whom  he  had  at  Constance,  With 
great  clearness  he  vindicated  himself  against  the  charge 
of  heresy;  but,  his  holy  life  was  unpardonable  in  the  eyes 
of  his  enemies:  moreover,  all  those,  whom  the  faithful- 
ness of  his  pastoral  services  in  Bohemia  had  provoked, 
now  found  an  opportunity  to  wreak  their  vengeance  upon 
him. 

The  generous  count  de  Chlum,  grieved  and  incensed 
at  the  imprisonment  of  Huss,  wrote  to  Sigismund  on  this 
subject.  That  prince  immediately  sent  express  orders 
to  his  ambassadors,  to  cause  him  to  be  set  at  liberty,  and 
even  to  break  the  gates  of  the  prison  in  case  of  resist- 
ance. We  naturally  expect  to  hear,  in  the  next  place, 
of  the  prisoner's  enlargement;  for,  independently  of  this 
application  of  count  de  Chlum,  the  honour  of  Sigismund 
himself,  who  had  positively  promised  a  safe  conduct  to 
Huss,  seemed  to  require  it.  But  notwithstanding  all  this, 
the  unfortunate  Bohemian  teacher  was  not  released!  The 
crooked  arts  and  intrigues  both  of  the  pope  and  of  the 
emperor,  were  too  powerful  for  the  sincerity  and  open 
dealings  of  Huss:  and,  he  soon  found,  that  to  commit 
himself  to  Him,  that  judgeth  righteously,  was  his  only 
expedient.  In  the  mean  time,  the  doctors,  in  their 
preachings,  exclaimed  most  pathetically  against  the  pre- 
vailing evils  and  abuses,  and  exhorted  the  council  to  re- 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  J  63 

form  the  church  with  vigour.  Its  growing  corruptions 
and  enormities  were  by  them  exposed  ia  the  strongest 
colours.  Wickhff  himself,  or  Huss,  could  scarcely  have 
spoken  in  a  more  pointed  or  in  a  severer  manner.  But 
these  innovators,  we  find,  were  not  permitted  to  censure, 
with  impunity,  even  the  most  shameful  practices.  The 
explanation  is,  their  attachment  to  the  See  of  Rome  itself 
was  doubted;  whereas  the  divines  just  mentioned,  preach- 
ed by  order  of  Iheir  superiors,  and  constantly  took  par- 
ticular care,  in  the  midst  of  their  keenest  animadver- 
sions, to  express  an  unequivocal  respect  to  the  popedom 
in  general. 

In  th3  beginning  of  the  year  1415,  the  commissioners 
for  examining  Huss,  found  themselves  impeded  by  the 
emperor's  grant  of  a  safe  conduct;  and  they  scrupled 
not,  at  once  to  intreat  that  prince  to  violate  his  most 
solemn  engagenient.  To  be  brief;  Sigismund  was  at 
length  persuaded,  that  his  conscience  ought  not  to  be 
burdened  in  this  matter;  but  that  he  was  excused  from 
keeping  faith  with  a  man  accused  of  heresy;  and  that  to 
acquiesce  in  the  desires  of  the  venerable  council,  was 
the  proper  line  of  conduct  for  an  obedient  and  ''  good 
son  of  the  church."*  Such  was  the  language  of  the 
Romanists.  A  direct  breach  of  faith  is,  however,  so 
strong  a  violation  of  the  law  written  in  the  heart  of  man, 
that  it  was  not  easy  even  for  the  most  able  defender  of  a 
bad  cause,  to  vindicate  actions  of  this  kind.  Laboured 
apologies  have  been  published,  to  soften  the  transactions 
before  us.f  But  to  what  purpose  is  it  to  multiply  words, 
in  order  to  misrepresent  a  plain  fact,  which  may  be  told 

*  Nauclerus. 

t  Mainiburg's  Hist,  of  the  Western  Schism,  Part  11. — Varilla's  Hist,  of  Wick- 
liff,  Part  I. 


164  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChwp.9.. 

in  very  few  lines?  The  authority  of  Sigismund  extend- 
ed over  the  empire:  hc^  by  virtue  of  that  authority,  re- 
quired all  his  subjects,  to  suffer  Huss  to  pass  and  repass 
secure;  and,  for  the  honour  of  his  Imperial  Majesty,  if 
need  be,  to  jyrovide  him  with  good  passports*  Constance 
was  an  imperial  city:  from  this  city  he  was  not  cdtoived 
to  repass,  but  was  detained  in  prison,  till  he  was  unjustly 
burnt  by  the  order  of  the  council.  Was  this  for  the 
honour  of  his  imperial  majesty? 

The  perfidious  character  of  Sigismund  indeed  was 
well  known.  It  appears  from  one  of  the  letters  of  John 
Huss,  that,  before  his  departure,  he  had  been  told  by 
some  persons,  that  the  emperor  would  betray  him.  But, 
this  servant  of  God,  in  honour  of  his  master,  ventured 
every  thing  for  the  cause  of  divine  truth. 

Before  the  death  of  their  countryman,  the  Bohemian 
nobility,  enraged  at  the  perfidy  of  Sigismund,  repeatedly 
remonstrated,  by  letters,  against  his  proceedings:  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  At  the  solicitation  of  Paletz,  Huss  was 
confined  in  the  Dominican  convent,  where  he  became 
dangerously  sick,  through  the  bad  air  and  other  incon- 
veniences of  a  noisome  dungeon. 

But  suffering  is  not  the  peculiar  lot  of  godly  men: 
wickedness  has,  also,  its  hardships  and  its  inconveniences. 
That  same  John  XXHI.  who  had  most  unrighteously 
persecuted  Huss,  gradually  found  himself  in  so  disagree- 
able a  situation  at  Constance,  partly  from  the  accusations 
of  his  enemies,  to  the  justice  of  which  his  own  conscience 
could  not  but  assent,  and  partly  from  the  intrigues  and 
manosuvres  of  Sigismund  and  the  majority  of  the  council, 
that  he  determined  to  depart,  in  secret,  from  the  assem- 
bly.  Four  nations  were  represented  at  Constance,  name- 

*  I.'Enfant,  p.  61.     See  the  Avords  in  Latin,  p.  149,  the  note. 


Cent.15.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  165 

]y,  the  Italians,  the  Germans,  the  French,  and  the  Eng- 
lish.    The  last  of  these  had  proposed  even  to  arrest  the 
pope;  and,  though  this  proposal  did  not  take  effect,  there 
seemed  a  general  agreement  in  the  four  nations  to  oblige 
him  to  resign  his  authority.     The  other  two  anti-popes. 
Benedict  XHI.  who  was  cliiefly  owned  in  Spain,   and 
Gregory  XII.  who  had  some  partizans  in  Italy,  were  also 
pressed  to  resign;  but,  like  John  XXIII.  they  were  de- 
termined to  preserve  the  shadow  of  power  as  long  as  pos- 
sible.    The  three  popes  seemed  to  vie  with  one  another 
in   equivocation,   artifice   and   disingenuity.     However, 
Benedict  and  Gregory  were  not  present  at  Constance, 
but  sent  thither  their  respective  legates,  during  the  ses- 
sions.    At  this  moment,  when  the  council  seemed  not  a 
little  embarrassed  what  course  they  should  take,  William 
Fillastre,  a  cardinal  and  a  French  divine,  composed  a 
memorial,  which  was  highly  acceptable  both  to  the  em- 
peror and  to  the  nations.     He  even  advanced  a  senti- 
ment, which,  at  last,  very  much  prevailed  in  the  assembly, 
and   was   actually  reduced  to  practice;  namely,  that  a 
"general  council  was  authorized  to  depose  even  a  lawful 
pope."    This,  as  we  have  already  observed,  was  the 
most  beneficial  effect  of  the  council  of  Constance.     The 
wisdom  of  Divine  Providence  weakened  the  strength  of 
antichrist  by  the  measures  of  a  council,  which,  in  the 
main,  was  destitute  both  of  piety  and  probity. 

It  is  a  remarkable  instance  of  the  love  of  power,  in 
men  who  have  been  habituated  to  it,  that  John  XXIII. 
even  in  the  decline  of  his  authority,  was  glad  to  signalize 
the  relics  of  his  pontificate  by  the  canonization  of  Bridget, 
a  Swedish  woman,  which  took  place  in  this  same  year, 
1415. 

After  numberless  intrigues,  in  which  the  pope  and  the 


1^5  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  3. 

emperor  seemed  to  strive  which  should  exceed  the  other 
in  dissimulation,  the  former  fled  from  the  council  to 
Schaffhausen;  whence  he  wrote  to  the  emperor,  a  letter 
couched  in  the  most  respectful  terms.  Schaffhausen,  it 
should  be  observed,  was  a  city  belonging  to  Frederick, 
duke  of  Austria,  who  had  promised  to  defend  pope  John. 
By  this  step,  the  designs  of  those,  who  really  intended 
to  put  an  end  to  the  schism,  seemed  to  be  quashed  en- 
tirely. Among  these  was  the  emperor  himself,  in  whose 
conduct,  scandalous  and  hypocritical  as  it  was  in  the  ex- 
treme, one  object  is  yet  plainly  discernible,  a  sincere  de- 
sire of  restoring  the  unity  of  the  hierarchy.  He  assured 
the  council,  on  the  day  after  the  departure  of  pope  John, 
that  he  would  defend  their  authority  to  the  last  drop  of 
his  blood.  He  observed,  that  there  were  many  antichrists 
in  the  world,  who  sought  their  own  interest,  not  that  of 
Jesus  Christ:  he  inveighed  against  the  conduct  of  John; 
he  exposed  his  tyranny,  simony,  chicanery,  and  insince- 
rity, and  exhorted  them  to  judge  him  according  to  his 
deserts.  Thus,  while  the  members  of  this  assembly 
agreed  in  persecuting  the  church  of  God,  and  still  de- 
tained in  prison  the  excellent  John  Huss,  they  were  in- 
volved in  extreme  difficulties,  and  scarcely  knew  how  to 
support  the  system  of  idolatry,  and  secular  formality  of 
religion,  to  which  they  were  in  general  attached.  The 
doctrine  of  the  superiority  of  a  council,  started  by  Fil- 
lastre,  was,  however,  maintained  and  pressed  at  this  time 
in  an  elaborate  discourse  of  John  Gerson,  chancellor  of 
the  university  of  Paris,  who  was  looked  upon  as  the  soul 
of  the  assembly,  and  who,  in  fact,  was  one  of  the  greatest 
men  in  that  age,  in  erudition  and  knowledge.  He  admits 
the  pope  to  be  Christ's  vicar  on  earth;  but  asserts  that 
his  power  is  limited,  and  ought  to  be  restrained  by  cer- 


Cent.15.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  167 

tain  rules  and  laws  for  the  edification  of  the  church,  to 
which  the  autliority  of  the  pope,  and  all  other  persons 
ought  to  be  devoted.  Gerson  seems  to  have  disregarded 
the  authority  of  Scripture,  which  knows  nothing  of  such 
a  vicar  of  Christ:  common  sense,  however,  and  the  ex- 
perience of  the  necessity  of  some  restrictions  of  the  papal 
power,  appear  to  have  suggested  to  this  great  man  seve- 
ral salutary  arguments  and  propositions.  Nor  is  this  the 
only  instance  in  which  we  may  see,  that  even  mere  natu- 
ral principles,  without  the  aid  of  revelation,  can  proceed 
to  a  certain  length  in  correcting  the  enormous  abuses  of 
a  corrupt  church. 

While  the  imperial  and  papal  parties  were  thus  con- 
tending, the  commissioners  endeavoured  to  oblige  John 
Huss  to  retract,  but  in  vain.  Though  infirm,  and  harass- 
ed, during  his  confinement  in  prison,  with  a  variety  of 
vexations,  he  answered  to  every  particular  inquiry  and 
objection;  at  the  same  time,  always  desiring  to  be  heard 
by  the  council  itself  The  pope's  oflScers  hitherto  guard- 
ed him;  but  these  being  gone  to  their  master,  he  was  de- 
livered to  the  bishop  of  Constance,  arid  was  afterwards 
carried  to  the  fortress  of  Gottleben.  In  his  letters  to 
his  friends,  he  commends  the  pope's  officers,  for  their 
gentle  treatment,  and  expresses  his  fears  of  worse  usage 
in  his  new  circumstances. 

It  was  one  of  those  remarkable  instances  of  the  con- 
duct of  Divine  Providence,  with  which  the  history  of  the 
council  of  Constance  abounds,  that  John  XXIII.  himself, 
the  unrighteous  persecutor  of  Huss,  was  soon  after 
brought  as  a  prisoner  to  the  same  castle  of  Gottleben, 
and  lodged  in  the  same  place  with  the  victim  of  his 
cruelty.  For  Sigismund,  determined  to  support  the  au- 
thority of  the  council,  took  such  ineasures  as  effectually 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/m^p.  2. 

quashed  the  power  of  Frederick,  duke  of  Austria,  re- 
duced him  to  surrender  at  discretion,  and  obliged  him  to 
abandon  the  cause  of  the  pope.  Whence  this  pontiff, 
who  at  first  had  presided  at  the  council,  after  having 
been  driven  to  the  necessity  of  fleeing  from  place  to 
place,  was  at  length  confined  at  Gottleben,  which  was 
within  half  a  league  of  Constance.  Seldom  has  there 
been  a  case,  which  more  remarkably  showed,  that,  in 
external  things,  the  same  events  often  attend  the  righte- 
ous and  the  wicked.  The  real  difference  of  condition 
between  the  pope  and  the  martyr  was  internal,  and  ought 
to  be  measured  by  the  different  frame  of  their  minds. 
The  one  was  harassed  with  all  the  pangs  of  disappointed 
ambition,  and  had  neither  the  knowledge  nor  the  dispo- 
sition to  console  himself  with  the  divine  promises;  the 
latter  "  in  patience  possessed  his  spirit,  and  rejoiced  in 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God.'^ 

John  XXIII.  was,  at  length,  solemnly  deposed,  and 
was  also  rendered  incapable  of  being  re-elected.  The 
same  sentence  was  issued  against  Benedict  XIII.  and 
Gregory  XII.  The  conduct  of  these  three  men,  par- 
ticularly of  the  first,  had  been  so  infamous,  that  all  the 
world  applauded  these  determinations  of  the  council. 
In  general,  the  members  of  this  assembly  were  influenced 
by  superstitious,  selfish,  worldly  motives;  but  this  decision 
is  among  the  very  few  important  instances  in  which  they 
merit  commendation. 

While,  contrary  to  every  principle  of  justice,  honour, 
and  humanity,  the  Bohemian  reformer  was  still  detained 
in  confinement,  and  still  in  vain  solicited  a  fair  hearing 
of  his  cause,  there  was  exhibited  at  this  council  another 
striking  example  of  the  same  spirit  of  persecution. 

Jerom  of  Prague  arrived  at  Constance.     He  was  a 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  169 

master  of  arts,  but  had  neither  the  clerical  nor  the  mo- 
nastic character.  He  is  universally  allowed  to  have  been 
a  man  of  very  superior  talents.  He  had  adhered  to  John 
Huss,  and  very  vigorously  seconded  all  his  endeavours  to 
promote  a  reformation  in  Bohemia.  He  had  travelled 
into  England  for  the  sake  of  his  studies,  and  had  thence 
brought  the  books  of  Wickliff  into  his  own  country.* 
When  Huss  was  setting  out  from  Prague,  Jerom  had 
exhorted  him  to.  maintain  with  steadfastness  the  doctrines 
which  he  had  preached;  and  had  promised  that  he  would 
himself  go  to  Constance  to  support  him,  if  he  should 
hear  that  he  was  oppressed.  Huss,  in  one  of  his  letters, 
expressly  desired  a  fiiend  to  prevent  Jerom's  performance 
of  this  promise,  lest  he  should  meet  with  the  same  treat- 
ment as  he  himself  had  experienced.  But  Jerom  had 
the  generosity  to  disregard  the  intreaties  of  Huss,  and 
came  directly  to  Constance.  Hearing,  however,  that 
Huss  was  not  allowed  a  fair  examination,  and  that  some 
secret  machination  was  carrying  on  against  himself,  he 
retired  to  Uberlingen,  whence  he  wrote, to  the  emperor, 
to  request  a  safe  conduct.  Sigismund  refused  to  grant 
his  petition.  Upon  which  Jerom  published  a  paper,  de- 
claring it  to  be  his  desire  to  answer  any  charges  of  heresy 
that  could  possibly  be  brought  against  him.  And  for  the 
purpose  of  executing  so  laudable  an  intention,  he  beg- 
ged, in  the  name  of  God,  to  have  a  safe  conduct  granted 
to  him.  ''  If,"  says  he,  "  I  am  put  in  prison,  and  violence 
is  used  against  me  before  I  am  convicted,  the  council 
will  manifest  to  the  whole  world  their  injustice  by  such 
a  proceeding."  The  publication  of  this  writing  produced 
no  satisfactory  answer;  and  Jerom  finding  it  impossible 
to  be  of  any  service  to  his  friend  Huss,  resolved  to  re- 

*  Camerar.  Histor.  NaiT. 
Vol.  IT.  Y 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

turn  to  his  own  country.  After  his  departure  from  Con- 
stance, he  was  summoned  to  appear  before  the  council; 
and  a  safe  conduct  or  passport  was  despatched  to  him, 
which  promised  him,  indeed,  all  manner  of  security,  but 
it  contained  such  a  salvo  to  justice  and  the  interests  of 
the  faith,  as  rendered  it,  in  effect,  a  mere  nullity:  and  as 
to  the  citation  for  his  appearance,  Jerom  protested,  on 
his  first  examination,  that  it  had  never  reached  his  hands. 

To  omit  a  long  detail  of  uninteresting  particulars,  this 
persecuted  reformer  was  arrested  at  Hirsaw  on  his  re- 
turn to  Bohemia,  and  led  in  chains  to  Constance. 

He  was  immediately  brought  before  a  general  congre- 
gation, which  seems,  on  this  occasion,  to  have  assembled 
for  the  express  purpose  of  insulting,  ensnaring,  and  brow- 
beating their  virtuous  prisoner.     A  bishop  questioned 
him  concerning  his  precipitate  flight  from  Uberlingen, 
and  his  non-obedience  to  the  citation.     "  Because,"  an- 
swered Jerom,  "  I  was  not  allowed  a  safe  conduct;  not- 
withstanding, however,  if  I  had  known  of  the  citation,  I 
would  have  returned  instantly,  though  I  had  been  ac- 
tually on  the  confines  of  Bohemia."     Upon  this  answer, 
there  arose  such  a  clamour  in  the  assembly,  that  no  one 
could  be  heard  distinctly:  every  mouth  opened  at  once, 
against  Jerom;  and  the  impartial  spectator  saw  rather 
the  representation  of  the  baiting  of  a  wM  beast,  than  of 
a  wise  assembly  investigating  truth,  and  dispensing  jus- 
tice.    When  order  was  restored,  Gerson,  who  had  for- 
merly known   Jerom   in   France,  and  who  discovered 
much  acrimony  towards  both  the  Bohemian  reformers, 
reproached  him  for  having  formerly  given  much  offence 
to  the  university  of  Paris,  by  introducing  several  errone- 
ous propositions.     With   great  spirit  Jerom  answered, 
that  it  was  hard  to  have  opinions  objected  to  him,  of  so 


Cent.l5r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  171 

long  a  date;  and  that,  moreover,  the  disputations  of  young 
students  were  never  to  be  considered  as  strict  disquisi- 
tions of  truth.  "  As  I  was  admitted  master  of  arts,"''  said 
he,  "  I  used  the  liberty  of  discussion,  allowed  to  philoso- 
phers; nor  was  I  then  charged  with  any  error:  I  am 
still  ready  to  maintain  what  I  advanced  at  that  time,  if  I 
am  allowed;  and  also  to  retract,  if  I  be  convicted  of  mis- 
take." 

This  was  not  the  only  instance  in  which  Jerom  had 
occasion  to  show  his  promptitude  in  answering  calumnies. 
He  was  repeatedly  attacked  in  a  similar  style;  for  a  per- 
secuted follower  of  Christ  is  looked  on,  by  the  world,  as 
lawful  game  The  governors  of  the  universities  of  Co- 
logne and  of  Heidelburg  made  heavy  complaints  of  the 
heresies  which  the  prisoner  had  maintained  in  those 
places  respectively.  "  You  vented  several  errors  in  our 
university,"  said  a  doctor  from  Cologne.  "  Be  pleased 
to  name  one,"  answered  Jerom.  The  accuser  was  in- 
stantly stopped  in  his  career,  and  pleaded  that  his  memo- 
ry failed  him.  "  You  advanced  most  impious  heresies 
among  us,"  said  a  divine  from  Heidelburg;  "  I  remember 
one  particularly,  concerning  the  Trinity.  You  declared 
that  it  resembled  water,  snow,  and  ice."  Jerom  avowed, 
that  he  still  persisted  in  his  opinions,  but  was  ready  to 
retract  with  humility  and  with  pleasure,  when  he  should 
be  convinced  of  an  error.  However,  no  opportunity 
was  allowed  either  for  explanation  or  defence:  all  was 
confusion  and  uproar:  voices  burst  out  from  every  quar- 
ter, "  away  with  him,  away  with  him;  to  the  fire,  to  the 
fire." 

Jerom  stood  astonished  at  the  gross  indecency  of  this 
scene;  and  as  soon  as  he  could,  in  any  degree,  be  heard, 
he  looked  round  the  assembly  with  a  steady  and  most 


172  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

significant  countenance,  and  cried  aloud,  "  since  notliing 
but  my  blood  will  satisiy  you,  I  am  resigned  to  the  will 
of  God/'  With  suflicient  adroitness,  if  the  passage  had 
but  been  quoted  in  support  of  a  better  cause,  the  arch- 
bishop of  Saltzburg  replied,  "No,  Jerom,  God  hath  no 
pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked,  but  that  he  turn 
from  his  way  and  live." 

After  this  tumultuous  examination,  Jerom  was  deliver- 
ed to  the  officers  of  the  city,  and  immediately  carried  to 
a  dungeon.  Some  hours  afterward,  Wallenrod,  arch- 
bishop of  Riga,  caused  him  to  be  conveyed  privately  to 
St.  Paul's  church,  where  he  was  bound  to  a  post,  and 
his  hands  were  chained  to  his  neck.  In  this  posture  he 
remained  ten  days,  and  was  fed  with  bread  and  water 
only.  His  friends,  all  this  time,  knew  not  what  w^as  be- 
come of  him;  till  at  length  one  of  them  received  notice 
of  his  pitiable  situation  from  the  keeper  of  the  prison, 
and  procured  him  better  nourishment.  But  notwith- 
standing this,  the  various  hardships  he  had  undergone, 
brought  upon  him  a  dangerous  illness,  in  the  course  of 
which  Jerom  pressed  the  council  to  allow  him  a  confes- 
sor. With  difficulty  he  at  length  obtained  his  request: 
and,  through  the  means  of  his  confessor,  the  poor  heretic 
procured  some  small  mitigation  of  his  sufferings  from 
bonds  and  other  cruel  treatment.  But  he  remained  in 
prison  till  his  execution. 


CHAPTER  nr. 

John  Russ,  and  Jerom  of  Prague,  continued. 

The  enemies  of  Huss  laboured  night  and  day  for  his 
destruction.    His  health  and  strength  were  decayed  by 


Cent.  15.'}  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  173 

the  rigour  of  confinement.  The  great  men  of  Bohemia, 
repeatedly  insisted  on  justice  being  done  to  their  coun- 
trymen. But  justice  was  a  stranger  at  Constance:  tiio 
emperor  hiniseh"  had  perfidiously  given  up  this  fuitiiful 
servant  of  God  to  the  malice  of  his  enemies;  and  the 
council,  as  if  conscious  of  the  difikulty  of  condemning 
him  openly,  had  recourse  to  the  despicable  means  of  at- 
tempting, by  repeated  insults  and  vexations,  to  shake  his 
constancy,  and  render  a  public  trial  unnecessary.  Me 
was  frequently- examined  in  private.  An  air  of  violence 
and  of  menace  was  employed  on  those  occasions,  of  which 
we  may  form  some  idea  from  one  of  the  letters  of  Huss. 
"  Causis,^'  says  he,  "  was  there,  holding  a  paper  in  his 
hand,  and  stirring  up  the  bishop  of  Constantinople  to 
oblige  me  to  answer  distinctly  to  each  article  it  contain- 
ed. Every  day  he  is  brewing  some  mischief  or  other. 
God,  for  my  sins,  has  permitted  him  and  Paletz  to  lise 
up  against  me.  Causis  examines  all  my  letters  and  words 
with  the  air  of  an  inquisitor,  and  Paletz  has  written 
down  all  the  conversation  which  we  have  had  together 
for  many  years.   I  have  this  day  suffered  great  vexation." 

The  approbation  of  a  good  conscience,  and  the  com- 
forting presence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  appear  to  have 
supported  this  holy  man  in  all  his  sufferings.  He  gave 
his  adversaries  no  advantage  over  him  either  through 
warmth  or  timidity;  he  refused  to  give  answers  in  private; 
he  reserved  himself  to  the  public  trial  which  he  had 
always  solicited;  he  retracted  nothing  of  what  he  had 
openly  preached,  and  he  possessed  his  soul  in  patience 
and  resignation. 

The  unrighteous  views  of  the  council  being  thus  far 
baffled,  he  was  conducted  to  Constance,  lodged  in  the 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICliiip.  3. 

Franciscan  monastery,  and  loaded  with  chains;  in  which 
condition  he  remained  till  the  day  of  his  condemnation. 

His  first  hearing  before  the  council  was  attended  with 
so  much  confusion  through  the  intemperate  rage  of  his 
enemies,  that  nothing  could  be  concluded.  In  the  se- 
cond, in  which  the  eujperor  was  present,  for  the  purpose 
of  preserving  order,  Huss  was  accused  of  denying  the 
doctrine  of  Iransubstantiation.  Some  Englishmen,  who 
knew  what  Wickliff  held  on  that  point,  and  who  were 
ready  to  take  for  granted,  that  Huss  dissented  in  no  arti- 
cle from  their  countryman,  pressed  him  vehemently  on 
the  subject.  It  appeared,  however,  that  the  Bohemian 
teacher  followed  the  church  of  Rome  on  this  important 
doctrine;  and  the  sincerity  of  his  creed,  though  a  mis- 
taken one,  appears  from  his  treatise  on  the  body  of 
Christ. 

John  de  Chlum,  however,  was  not  to  be  dismayed  by 
the  power  and  multitude  of  the  adversaries  of  Huss:  he 
supported  the  insulted  victim  of  their  fury  with  courage 
and  constancy.  In  his  third  hearing,  John  Huss  answer- 
ed the  inquiries  made  to  him  concerning  articles  of  sup- 
posed heresy,  which  were  extracted  from  his  own  works. 
He  answered  severally  to  the  questions  with  much  clear- 
ness and  candour,  owning,  denying,  or  explaining,  as  oc- 
casions required.  He  was  vehemently  pressed  to  retract 
his  errors,  to  own  the  justice  of  the  accusations,  and  to 
submit  to  the  decrees  of  the  council.  But  neither  pro- 
mises nor  menaces  moved  him.  "  To  abjure,"  said  he, 
"  is  to  renounce  an  error  that  hath  been  held.  But,  as 
in  many  of  those  articles,  errors  are  laid  to  my  charge 
which  I  never  thought  of,  how  can  I  renounce  them  by 
oath?  As  to  those  articles,  which  I  own  to  be  mine,  I 
will  renounce  them  with  all  my  heart,  if  any  man  will 


Cent.   15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  175 

teach  me  sounder  doctrines  than  what  I  have  advanced." 
His  conscientious  integrity,  however,  availed  him  not. 
The  court  demanded  a  universal  retraction;  and  nothing 
short  of  that  could  procure  him  their  favour.  The 
tedious  malignity  of  the  third  day's  examination  oppress- 
ed at  length  bolii  the  mind  and  body  of  Huss;  and  the 
more  so,  because  he  had  passed  the  preceding  night 
sleepless,  through  pain  of  the  toothach.  For  some  days 
before,  he  had -also  been  afllicted  with  the  gravel,  and 
was,  in  other  respects,  in  a  weak  state  of  health.  At 
the  close  of  the  examination  he  was  carried  back  to 
prison,  whither  John  de  Chlum  followed  him.  "  Oh, 
what  a  comfort,"  said  he,  "  was  it  to  me,  to  see  that  this 
nobleman  did  not  disdain  to  stretch  out  his  arm  to  a  poor 
heretic  in  irons,  whom  all  the  world,  as  it  were,  had  for- 
saken!" In  the  same  letter,  in  which  he  mentions  this, 
he  begs  the  prayers  of  his  friend,  because  "  the  spirit  in- 
deed is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak." 

Such  is  the  treatment,  which  the  dearest  and  most 
faithful  servants  of  God  are  frequently  called  upon  to 
endure  from  an  evil  world.  After  the  departure  of  Huss, 
Sigismund,  with  the  most  unrelenting  barbarity,  express- 
ed himself  against  him,  as  a  heretic  worthy  of  the  flames. 
On  the  next  day  a  form  of  retractation  was  sent  to  this 
persecuted  prisoner,  which,  though  it  was  penned  in 
equivocal  and  ambiguous  terms,  plainly  appeared,  on  the 
whole,  to  imply  a  confession  of  guilt.  Huss  therefore 
refused  to  sign  it:  and  added,  that  he  would  rather  be 
cast  into  the  sea  with  a  millstone  about  his  neck,  than 
give  offence  to  his  pious  neighbours  by  acknowledging 
that  to  be  true,  which  they  knew  to  be  false;  that  he 
had  preached  patience  and  constancy  to  others,  and  that 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

he  was  willing  to  show  an  example  of  these  graces,  and 
hoped  by  divine  assistance  to  be  enabled  to  do  so. 

Tiie  integrity  of  the  Bohemian  martyr  was  severely 
tried  by  the  solicitations  of  several  persons.  But  divine 
grace  had  given  him  the  virtue  of  sincerity  to  a  very 
eminent  degree,  so  that  the  very  least  equivocation  was 
abominable  in  his  eyes.  Even  his  enemy  Paletz,  in- 
wardly reverencing  his  virtue,  took  pains  to  induce  him 
to  retract.  "  Put  yourselves  in  my  place,''  said  Huss; 
"  what  would  you  do,  if  you  were  required  to  retract 
certain  errors,  which  you  were  sure  you  never  held." 
'•'  I  own,  it  is  a  hard  case,"  answered  Paletz,  with  tears 
in  his  eyes.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  this  man  had 
never  meant  actually  to  expose  his  countryman  to  the 
flames:  and  it  is  extremely  probable  that  he  had  never 
before  considered  the  dilemma  to  which  the  spirit  of  per- 
secution must  reduce  a  person  of  real  integrity,  namely, 
either  to  perjure  himself,  or  to  be  consumed  in  the  flames. 
One  of  the  doctors,  who  visited  Huss,  said  to  him,  "  If 
the  council  should  tell  you,  that  you  have  but  one  eye, 
though  you  have  really  two,  you  would  be  obliged  to 
agree  with  the  council."  "  While  God  keeps  me  in  my 
senses,"  replied  Huss,  "  I  would  not  say  such  a  thing 
against  my  conscience,  on  the  intreaty  or  command  of 
the  whole  world." 

This  holy  personage  foreseeing  his  end  to  be  near, 
redeemed*  the  little  time  which  was  left  to  him,  by 
writing  letters,  which  were  publicly  read  at  Prague,  in 
his  chapel  at  Bethlehem,  the  once  delightful  scene  of  his 
ministry.  One  of  these  letters  may  be  considered  as  a 
farewell  sermon  addressed  to  his  flock.  He  intreats 
them  to  adhere  solely  to  the  word  of  God,  and  not  to  fol- 

*  Eplies.  V.  16. 


Cent.15.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  177 

low  himself,  if  they  have  observed  any  thing  in  him  not 
agreeable  to  it;  and  he  particularly  begs  them  to  pardon 
him,  where  he  had  been  guilty  of  any  levity  in  discourse 
or  behaviour.  He  begs  them  to  be  grateful  to  John  de 
Chlum,  and  another  nobleman,  who  had  been  faithful  to 
him  in  his  sufferings.  He  adds,  that  he  hears  no  news 
of  Jerom,  except  that  he  was  a  prisoner  like  himself, 
waiting  for  the  sentence  of  death;  and  he  concludes  with 
an  earnest  prayer,  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  may  be 
always  preached  to  them  in  his  dear  chapel  of  Bethle- 
hem. His  firmness  was  tliat  of  a  Christian,  not  of  a 
stoic;  founded  in  humility,  not  in  pride.  He  experienced 
some  attacks  of  the  fears  of  death,  but  soon  recovered 
his  courage.  "  I  am  far,"  said  he,  "  from  the  strength 
and  zeal  of  the  Apostle  Peter.  Jesus  Christ  has  not 
given  me  his  talents:  besides  I  have  more  violent  con- 
flicts, and  a  greater  number  of  shocks  to  sustain.  I  say, 
therefore,  that,  placing  all  my  confidence  in  Jesus  Christ, 
I  am  determined,  when  I  hear  my  sentence,  to  continue 
steadfast  in  the  truth,  even  to  the  death,  as  the  saints 
and  you  shall  help  me."  Thus  modestly  does  he  write 
to  a  friend;  and  it  is  from  his  private  epistolary  cor- 
respondence, that  the  most  genuine  features  of  his  cha- 
racter may  be  drawn.  John  Huss  appears  indeed  to. 
have  been  one  of  those  of  whom  "  the  world  was  not 
worthy;'"*  and  of  no  mere  man  could  it  ever  be  said  with 
more  propriety,  that  the  world  hated  him,  because  he 
testified  of  it,  that  its  works  were  evil.  Undoubtedly, 
his  open  rebukes  of  sin,  both  by  his  public  preaching 
and  writings,  and  by  the  uniform  purity  and  innocence 
of  his  manners,  had  inflamed  the  tempers  of  the  great 
men  of  the  age,  both  in  church  and  state;  yet,  it  was 

"  Ileb.  xi.  38, 
Vol.  II.  Z 


178  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  5. 

scarcely  to  be  expected,  that  the  council  of  Constance 
should,  even  upon  their  own  principles,  proceed,  without 
the  least  proof  of  heresy,  to  condemn  to  the  flames,  the 
most  upright  of  men,  because  he  refused  to  acknowledge 
that  to  be  true  which  he  believed  to  be  false;  or  that 
this  same  council  should  justify  the  deceit  and  perfidy  of 
their  imperial  president.  Their  conduct,  therefore,  is  to 
be  considered  as  a  striking  proof,  not  only  of  the  general 
depravity  of  human  nature,  but  also  of  the  general 
wickedness  and  hypocrisy  of  the  Roman  church  at  that 
time. 

The  council  settled  beforehand  after  what  manner  he 
was    to   be  treated,    in  case  he   should    retract*     He 
was  to  have  been  degraded  from  the  priesthood,  and  to 
be  for  ever  shut  up  between  four  walls.     This  was  the 
only  reward  which  the  unfeeling  tyrants  had  intended  to 
bestow  on  him,  in   the  event  of  his  wounding  his  con- 
science to  gratify  them.     To  lay  the  whole  weight  of 
blame  on  the  popes,  on  account  of  the  enormities  of  the 
Roman  church,  is  to  view  that  church  superficially.     It 
was  generally  and  systematically  corrupt:  it  had  recently 
deposed  three  popes:  it  was,  at  present,  without  a  pope; 
and  yet  could  be  guilty  of  crimes,  not  less  heinous  than 
some  of  the  worst  which  the  popes  ever  committed. 

The  council,  so  lluss  wrote  the  night  before  his  deaths 
exhorted  him  to  renounce  every  one  of  the  articles, 
which  iiad  been  extracted  from  his  books;  but  he  abso- 
lutely refused  to  accede  to  so  unreasonable  a  requisition, 
except  they  could,  from  the  Scriptures,  prove  his  doc- 
trines to  be  erroneous,  as  they  asserted  them  to  be.  It 
may  he  proper  to  have  mentioned  this  circumstance  here 
by  way  of  anticipation,  to  obviate  a  misrepresentation 

*  L'Enfunt,  p.  363,  vol.  i. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  179 

which  was  studiously  made  concerning  John  Huss,  as  if 
he  had  iwomised  to  retract.  On  the  contrary,  it  appears 
that  he  persisted  to  the  last  in  the  defence  of  his  inno- 
cence with  unshaken  intepity. 

While  the  council  was  preparing  the  formalities  of  his 
condemnation,  they  enacted  a  decree  to  forbid  the  re- 
ception of  the  communion  in  both  kinds;  and  assigned 
no  other  reason  for  it,  except  their  regard  to  the  doctrine 
of  transubstantiation;  at  tiie  same  time  they  owned,  that 
in  the  pnniiHve  church,  this  sacrament  in  both  kinds  was 
received  by  the  believers.^  Tiius  the  triumph  of  tlie  Ro- 
man church  seemed  to  be  complete.  She  dared  to  own, 
that  she  contradicted  primitive  Cin'istianity,  and  she 
dared  to  enact,  that  those,  who  refused  to  obey  her  insti- 
tutions, though  confessedly  contrary  to  those  of  the  pri- 
mitive church,  ought  to  be  treated  as  heretics!  What  is 
this  but  open,  undisguised  opposition  to  the  commands 
of  Jesus  Christ?  And  what  other  name  but  that  of  anti- 
christ, can  so  well  express  the  corrupt  and  presumptuous 
domination  of  the  Romish  hierarchy? 

But  there  is  a  voice  in  natural  conscience,  which  it  is 
not  in  the  power  of  Satan  easily  to  silence.  Sigismund, 
inwardly  ashamed  of  his  baseness  and  perfidy  towards 
Huss,  wished  to  save  the  life  of  that  good  man,  though. 
he  saw  that,  according  to  the  wicked  policy  of  the  coun- 
cil, this  was  not  to  be  done,  except  the  prisoner  could  be 
induced  to  forswear  himself.  Many  persons,  to  second 
the  views  of  the  emperor,  endeavoured  to  overcome  the 
constancy  of  Huss:  even  the  council  sent  several  depu- 
tations to  him  for  that  purpose.  One  of  this  martyr's 
letters  throws  some  light  on  these  transactions.!  "  Pa- 
letz,"  says  he,  "  attempts  to  persuade  me,  that  I  ought 

*  L'Enfant,  p.  .386,  vol.  i.  f  Ibid.  p.  397. 


180  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.S. 

to  abjure,  because  of  the  great  advantage  which  will 
accrue  to  me  from  it.  I  told  him,  that  to  be  condemned 
and  burned  was  not  so  scandalous,  as  to  be  guilty  of 
falsehood."  He  speaks  thus  of  his  other  accuser,  Causis: 
"  That  poor  man  has  been  often  with  the  deputies  before 
the  prison.  I  heard  him  say  to  the  guards,  If  it  please 
God,  we  shall  shortly  burn  this  heretic^  who  has  cost  me 
so  many  florins  in  persecuting  him." 

He  wrote  about  the  same  time  to  a  preacher  of  his 
acquaintance,  concerning  the  decree  of  the  council  lately 
mentioned:  They  have  condemned  the  communion  of 
the  cup  with  regard  to  the  laity,  as  an  erroi',  and  have 
condemned  of  heresy  every  one  who  violates  their  de- 
cree, though  they  have  nothing  but  custom  to  oppose  to 
an  institution  of  Jesus  Christ." 

The  council  now  ordered  the  works  of  Huss  to  be 
burnt;  on  occasion  of  which  circumstance,  he  writes  to 
his  friends,  '■  That  he  was  not  discouraged  on  this  ac- 
count; that  Jeremiah's  books  met  with  the  same  treat- 
ment;* nevertheless  the  Jew^  suffered  the  calamities, 
which  that  faithful  prophet  had  foretold.  Consider,  that 
they  have  condemned  the  pope,  their  god  upon  earth, 
for  his  crimes,  particularly  for  selUng  indulgences, 
bishoprics,  and  the  like.  But  in  this  they  are  his  ac- 
comphces.  The  bishop  of  Litomissel,  who  is  at  the 
council,  went  twice  to  buy  the  archbishopric  of  Prague, 
but  others  outbad  him.  They  follow  this  traffic  even  at 
Constance,  where  one  sells  and  anothers  buys  a  bene- 
lice." 

At  length  he  received  another  solemn  deputation,  in 
which  were  two  cardinals  and  some  prelates,  who  tried 
their  utmost  to  induce  him  to  recant.     Huss,  however, 

"  .Terem.  xxxvi. 


Gent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  181 

persisted  in  his  integrity,  and  announced  Iiis  resolution 
in  terms  of  great  vehemence  and  solemnity.     Having 
withstood  one  more  attempt  of  the  emperor  to  shake  iiis 
resolution,  he  was  thus  accosted  by  his  friend  John  do 
Chlum.     "  I  am  a  person  of  no  learning,  my  dear  Huss, 
and  unfit  to  advise  so  learned  a  person  as  you.     If  you 
are  convinced  of  any  error,  I  venture,  however,  to  advise 
you  to  retract  it;  if  not,  to  endure  whatever  punishments 
shall  be  inflicted  on  you,  rather  than  to  do  violence  to 
your  conscience!"     An  instance  this  of  common  sense 
and  artless  honesty,  which  deserves  to  be  contrasted  with 
the  subtilty  and  intriguing  spirit  of  the  council.     Huss 
answered  with  tears,  that  he  called  God  to  witness,  how 
ready  he  was  to  retract  sincerely  and  upon   oath,  the 
moment  he  was  convinced  of  an  error  by  the  testimony 
of  Holy  Scripture.     One  of  the  prelates  observed,  "  For 
my  part,  I  am  not  so  presumptuous  as  to  prefer  my  pri- 
vate opinion  to  that  of  the  whole  council."     "  Let  the 
meanest  member  of  that  council,"  replied  Huss,  "  con- 
vince me  of  a  mistake,  and  I  am  perfectly  disposed  to 
obey  their  injunctions."     Some  of  the  bishops  observed, 
"  See,  how  obstinate  he  is  in  his  errors." 

He  was  now  presented  before  the  council  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  emperor,  the  princes  of  the  empire,  and  of 
an  incredible  concourse  of  people.  The  bishop  of  Lodi 
preached  a  sermon  from  those  words  of  St.  Paul,  "  That 
the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed."*  With  the  grossest 
ignorance  or  the  most  virulent  and  indecent  malice  he 
perverted  the  words  to  the  purpose  of  the  council:  "  De- 
stroy heresies  and  errors,"  said  he,  "  but  chiefly  that  ob- 
stinate heretic,"  pointing  to  the  prisoner.  While  they 
were  reading  the  articles  extracted  or  pretended  to  be 

*  Rom.  vi. 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.S. 

extracted  from  his  works,  Huss  was  beginning  to  answer 
to  each  distinctly,  but  was  told  that  he  might  answer  to 
them  all  at  the  same  time,  and  was  ordered  at  present  to 
be  silent.  He  expostulated  against  the  unreasonableness 
of  this  injunction  in  vain.  Lifting  up  his  hands  to 
heaven,  he  begged  the  prelates  in  God's  name  to  indulge 
him  with  the  freedom  of  speech,  that  he  might  justify 
himself  before  the  people;  "  after  which,"  said  he.  "you 
may  dispose  of  me,  as  you  shall  think  fit."  But  the  pre- 
lates persisting  in  their  refusal,*  he  kneeled  down,  and 
with  uplifted  eyes  and  hands,  and  with  a  loud  voice,  he 
recommended  his  cause  to  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth. 
Being  accused  in  the  article  of  the  sacrament,  of  having 
maintained  that  the  material  bread  remains  after  conse- 
cration, he  loudly  declared,  that  he  had  never  believed 
or  taught  so.  Nothing  could  be  more  iniquitous  than 
this  charge,  which  he  had  fully  refuted  on  his  former 
examination.  But  the  council  was  determined  to  burn 
him  as  a  heretic,  and  it  behoved  them  to  exhibit,  at  any 
rate,  some  show  of  proving  his  heretical  opinions.  A 
still  more  shameless  accusation  was  introduced:  it  was 
said,  '-'A  certain  doctor  bears  witness,  that  Huss  gave 
out,  that  he  should  become  the  fourth  person  in  the 
Trinity."  "What  is  the  name  of  that  doctor.^"  replied 
the  prisoner,  protesting  against  the  charge  as  a  flagrant 
calumny,  and  making  an  orthodox  confession  of  his  faith 
on  the  subject  of  the  Trinity.  Nevertheless,  the  bishop, 
who  had  read  the  accusation,  refused  to  mention  the 
doctor^s  name.  Being  again  upbraided  with  his  appeal 
to  Jesus  Christ,  "  Behold,"  said  he,  with  his  hands  lifted 
up  toward  heaven,  "  most  gracious  Saviour,  how  the 
council  condemns  as  an  error  what  thou  hast  prescribed 

*  Page  421,  L'Enfant. 


Cknt.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  183 

and  practised,  when,  overbornBby  enemies,  thou  com- 
mittedst  thy  cause  to  God  thy  Father,  leaving  us  this  ex- 
ample, that  when  we  are  oppressed,  we  may  have  re- 
couise  to  the  judgment  of  God.  Yes,  continued  he, 
turning  toward  the  assembly,  I  have  maintained  and  do 
still  maintain,  that  an  appeal  made  to  Jesus  Christ  is 
most  just  anlp-ight,  because  He  can  neither  be  corrupt- 
ed by  bribes,  nor  be  deceived  by  false  witnesses,  nor  be 
overreached  by  any  artifice. — I  came  voluntarily  to  this 
council,  under  the  public  faith  of  the  emperor  here  pre- 
sent." In  pronouncing  these  last  words,  he  looked  earn- 
estly at  Sigismund,  who  blushed  at  the  sudden  and  un- 
expected rebuke.* 

Sentence  was  now  pronounced  against  both  John 
Huss  and  his  books;  and  he  was  ordered  to  be  degraded. 
The  bishops  clothed  him  with  the  priest's  garments,  and 
put  a  chalice  into  his  hands.  While  they  were  thus  em- 
ployed, he  said,  that  •'  the  Jews  put  a  white  garment  on 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  mock  him,  when  Herod  de- 
livered him  to  Pilate;"  and  he  made  reflections  of  the 
same  kind  on  each  of  the  sacerdotal  ornaments.  When 
he  was  fully  apparelled,  the  prelates  once  more  exhorted 
him  to  retract;  and  to  thi|  exhortation  he  replied  with 
his  usual  firmness.  They  then  caused  him  to  come 
down  from  the  stool,  on  which  he  stood,  and  pronounced 
these  words,  "  0  cursed  Judas,  who  having  forsaken  the 
council  of  peace,  art  entered  into  that  of  the  Jews,  we 
take  this  chalice  from  thee,  in  which  is  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ."  But  God  was  with  the  martyr,  who  cried 
aloud,  "  I  trust,  in  the  mercy  of  God,  I  shall  drink  of  it 

*  We  are  told,  that  when  Charles  V.  was  solicited  at  the  diet  of  Worms  to 
arrest  Luther,  notwithstanding  the  safe  conduct  which  he  had  granted  him,  he 
replied,  "  I  should  not  choose  to  blush  with  my  predecessor  Sigismund." — Op. 
Hus.  torn.  ii. 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C^/mp.  5. 

this  very  day  in  his  kin|Pom."  Then  they  stripped  him 
of  all  his  vestments,  one  after  another,  uttering  a  curse 
on  stripping  him  of  each.  Having  completed  his  degra- 
dation by  the  addition  of  some  other  ridiculous  insults 
not  worthy  of  a  distinct  relation,  they  put  a  paper  coro- 
net on  his  head,  on  which  they  had  painte^three  devils, 
with  this  inscription,  arch-heretic,  and  saicflr^'  We  devote 
thy  soul  to  the  infernal  devils."  "  I  am  glad,"  said  the 
martyr,  "  to  wear  this  crown  of  ignominy  for  the  love  of 
Him,  who  wore  a  crown  of  thorns." 

When  the  painted  paper  was  placed  upon  his  head^ 
one  of  the  bishops  said,  "Now  we  commit  thy  soul  to  the 
devil."  "  But  I,"  said  Huss,  "  commit  my  spirit  into  thy 
hands,  0  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  unto  thee  I  commend  my 
spirit  which  thou  hast  redeemed."*  The  council  now 
ordered  this  sentence  to  be  pronounced,  namely,  "  The 
holy  synod  of  Constance  declares,  that  John  Huss  ought  to 
be  given  up  to  the  secular  power,  and  does  accordingly 
so  give  him  up,  considering  that  the  church  of  God  has 
no  more  to  do  with  him." 

Sigismund  committed  the  execution  of  Huss  to  the 
elector  Palatine.  The  martyr,  walking  amidst  his  guards, 
declared  his  innocence  to  th4^  people.  When  he  came 
near  the  place  of  execution,  he  kneeled  and  prayed  with 
such  fervour,  that  some  of  the  people  said  aloud,  "  What 
this  man  has  done  before,  we  know  not;  but  now  we 
hear  him  offer  up  most  excellent  prayers  to  God."  The 
elector  Palatine  prevented  him  from  speaking  to  the 
people,  and  ordered  him  to  be  burned.  "  Lord  Jesus," 
said  Huss  aloud,  "  I  humbly  suffer  this  cruel  death  for 
thy  sake,  and  I  pray  thee  to  forgive  all  my  enemies." 
His  paper  crown  falling  from  off  his  head,  the  soldiers 

•  Fox,  Acts,  8ic.  vol.  i.  p.  709. 


Cent.  15.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  185 

put  it*  on  again,  saying,  that  it  must  be  burnt  with  the 
devils,  whom  he  l)ad  served.  His  neck  was  fastened  to 
the  stake,  and  the  wood  was  piled  about  him.  The 
elector  advanced,  to  exiiort  him  once  more  on  the  often 
repeated  subject  of  retractation.  "  What  I  liave  written 
and  taught/'— these  were  the  words  of  Huss, — "  was  in 
order  to  rescue  souls  from  the  power  of  the  devil,  and 
to  deliver  them  from  the  tyranny  of  sin;  and  I  do  gladly 
seal,  what  I  have  written  and  taught,  with  my  blood."' 
The  elector  withdrawing,  the  fire  was  kindled,  and  Huss 
was  soon  suffocated,  having  called  on  God  as  long  as  he 
could  speak. 

Many  other  circumstances  of  the  cruel  indignity  with 
which  he  was  treated,  it  is  not  necessary  to  relate.  It  is 
more  to  our  purpose  to  observe  what  iEneas  Sylvius,  a 
Roman  Catholic  historian,  records  of  John  Huss  and  of 
Jerom  of  Prague.  "  They  went,^'  says  he,  "  to  the  stake, 
as  to  a  banquet;  not  a  word  fell  from  them,  which  dis- 
covered the  least  timidity;  they  sung  hymns  in  the  flames, 
to  the  last  gasp,  without  ceasing." 

The  council,  with  Sigismund  at  their  head,  still  pre- 
served the  most  solemn  forms  of  religion,  though  their 
conduct  continued  to  be  destitute  of  humility,  justice,  and 
humanity.  Gerson  preached  a  sermon  concerning  the 
reformation  of  the  church,  the  object  of  which  seems  to 
have  been,  to  transfer  to  the  general  council,  that  despotic 
power,  which  had  been  supposed,  on  divine  authority,  to 
rest  with  the  pope.  *  In  the  mean  time,  Jerom  of  Prague 
was  repeatedly  examined;  and  he  continued  to  sustain 
the  rigour  of  his  confinement  with  patience  and  con- 
stancy. 

Toward  the  latter  end  of  the  same  year,  1415,  a  letter 

•  Page  429,  L'Enfswit. 
Vol.  it.  2  A 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3- 

was  sent  to  the  council  from  Bohemia,  signed  by  about 
sixty  principal  persons,  barons,  noblemen,  and  others  of 
Bohemia,*  an  extract  of  which  is  as  follows:  "  We  know 
not  from  what  motive  ye  have  condemned  John  Huss, 
bachelor  of  divin^-^,  and  preacher  of  the  gospel.  Ye 
have  put  him  to  a  cruel  and  ignominious  death,  though 
convicted  of  no  heresy.  We  wrote  in  his  vindication,  to 
Sigismund,  king  of  the  Romans.  This  apology  of  ours 
ought  to  have  been  communicated  to  your  congregations; 
but  we  have  been  told  that  ye  burnt  it  in  contempt  of  us. 
We  protest  therefore,  with  the  heart  as  well  as  with  the 
lips,  that  John  Huss  was  a  man  very  honest,  just,  and 
orthodox;  that  for  many  years  he  conversed  among  us 
with  godly  and  blameless  manners;  that  during  all  those 
years  he  explained,  to  us  and  to  our  subjects,  the  gospel 
and  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  according 
to  the  exposition  of  holy  doctors  approved  by  the  church; 
and  that  he  has  left  writings  behind  him  in  which  he 
constantly  abiiors  ail  heresy.  He  taught  us  also  to  detest 
every  thing  heretical.  In  his  discourses  he  constantly 
exhorted  us  to  the  practice  of  peace  and  charity,  and  his 
own  life  exhibited  to  us  a  distinguished  example  of  these 
virtues.  After  all  the  inquiry  which  we  have  made,  we 
can  find  no  blame  attached  to  the  doctrine  or  to  the  life 
of  the  said  John  Huss;  but  on  the  contrary  every  thing 
pious,  laudable,  and  worthy  of  a  true  pastor.  Ye  have 
not  only. disgraced  us  by  his  condemnation,  but  have  also 
unmercifully  imprisoned,  and  perliaps  already  put  to 
death,  Jerom  of  Prague,  a  man  of  most  profound  learn- 
ing and  copious  eloquence.  Him  also  ye  have  condemn- 
ed unconvicted.  Notwithstanding  all  that  hath  passed, 
we  are  resolved  to  sacrifice  our  lives  for  the  defence  of 

*  L'^nfant,  p.  506,  vol.  i. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  187 

the  gospel  of  Christ,  and  of  his  faithful  preachers/'  This 
letter  was  unanimously  approved  in  an  assembly  of  Bo- 
hemian lords,  held  at  Prague. 

John  de  Trocznovv,  chamberlain  to  Wenceslaus  king 
of  Bohemia,  known  by  the  name  of  Zisca,  or  the  one- 
eyed,  was  one  of  the  Bohemian  noblemen,  who  highly 
resented  the  base  conduct  of  the  council,  Wenceslaus 
asking  him  one  day  what  he  was  musing  upon,  I  was 
thinking,  said  he,  on  the  aflfiout  offered  to  our  kingdom 
by  the  death  of'  John  Huss.  "  It  is  out  of  your  power 
or  mine  to  revenge  it,"  said  the  king:  "  but  if  you  know 
which  way  to  do  it,  exert  yourself"  From  that  time 
Zisca  meditated  those  military  projects,  for  which  he 
was  afterwards  so  famous  in  history. 

The  council,  startled  at  the  expostulations  of  the  Bo- 
hemian lords,  yet  being  still  determined  to  maintain  their 
own  unjust  authority;  at  length,  partly  by  promises,  and 
partly  by  threatenings,  induced  Jerom  of  Prague  to  re- 
tract his  sentiments.  To  carry  this  point,  they  appear 
to  have  used  their  utmost  efforts:  and  it  is  not  difficult 
to  comprehend  their  motives.  They  were  anxious  to 
avoid  the  infamy  which  would  unavoidably  be  connected 
with  their  execution  of  another  great  and  good  man. 
Jerom's  retractation  was  at  first  ambiguous  and  equivocal, 
afterwards  explicit  and  circumstantial.  He  anathema- 
tized the  articles  both  of  WicklifF  and  of  Huss,  and  de- 
clared that  he  believed  every  thing  which  the  council  be- 
lieved. He  even  added,  that  if  in  future  any  doctrine 
should  escape  from  him  contrary  to  his  recantation,  he 
would  submit  to  everlasting  punishment!  Thus  was  dis- 
graced before  all  the  woiid,  and  humbled  in  his  own 
eyes,  a  man  of  most  excellent  morals,  of  superior  parts, 
and  of  great  learning  and  fortitude.     Reader!  this  is  an 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIwi).  3. 

event,  memorable  in  the  annals  of  human  imbecility. 
Consider  dihgcntly  the  instruction  it  affords.  The  power 
and  the  mercy  of  God,  in  owning  his  fallen  servant,  and 
m  afterwards  restoring  and  supporting  him,  were  mag- 
nified, in  this  instance,  in  a  very  striking  manner. 

Jerom,  notwithstanding  his  retractation,  was  remand- 
ed to  prison,  where,  however,  we  find  he  was  allowed  a 
little  more  liberty  than  before.* 

There  were  those,  who,  not  content  with  the  unhappy 
retractation  of  Jerom,  insisted  upon  his  being  tried  a 
second  time;  and  Gerson  himself,  with  his  usual  zeal 
against  heresy,  was  not  ashamed  to  use  his  utmost  efforts 
in  promoting  this  most  iniquitous  measure. 

The  council  actually  proceeded  to  examine  Jerom 
again  upon  the  articles  formerly  exhibited  against  him, 
and  also  upon  fresh  articles,  collected  in  Bohemia  by 
certain  Carmelite  friars,  and  now  for  the  first  time 
brought  forward.  The  prisoner  refused  to  be  sworn, 
because  they  denied  him  the  liberty  of  defence. 

Then  it  was  that  this  great  man,  whom  a  long  series 
of  afflictions  and  cruel  persecution,  and  above  all,  the 
consciousness  of  his  late  prevarication,  had  brought 
into  the  lowest  distress,  began  to  exhibit  that  strength  of 
mind,  that  force  of  genius  and  eloquence,  and  that  in- 
tegrity and  fortitude,  which  will  be  the  admiration  of 
all  ages.  How  bitterly  he  had  repented,  and  mourned 
over  his  fall,  and  with  what  exercises  of  soul  he  had 
been  disciphned  in  secret,  the  intelh'gent  Christian  may 
easily  conceive,  though  we  have  no  particular  account 
on  record.  We  know,  indeed,  that  after  he  had  acted 
against  his  conscience,  he  retired  from  the  council  with 
a  heavy  heart.     His  chains  had  been  taken  from  him, 

•*  L'Enfant,  p.  513,  vol.  i. 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  189 

but  the  load  was  transferred  from  his  body  to  his  mind; 
and  the  caresses  of  those  about  him  served  only  to  mock 
his  sorrow.  The  anguish  of  liis  own  reflections  rendered 
his  prison  a  more  gloomy  sohtnde  than  he  had  ever  found 
it  before.  Jerom,  howevQr,  was  not  an  apostate;  and 
the  God  whom  he  served,  had  compassion  on  the  in- 
firmities of  his  nature,  and  did  not  desert  him  in  his 
bumihation.  No,  he  made  his  latter  end  to  be  blessed 
and  glorious. 

"How  unjust  is  it,"  exclaimed  this  Christian  hero, 
"that  ye  will  not  hear  me!  Ye  have  confined  me  three 
hundred  and  forty  days  in  several  prisons,  where  I  have 
been  cramped  with  irons,  almost  poisoned  with  dirt  and 
stench,  and  pinched  with  the  want  of  all  necessaries. 
During  this  time  ye  always  gave  to  my  enemies  a  hear- 
ing, but  refused  to  hear  me  so  much  as  a  single  hour. 
I  wonder  not,  that  since  ye  have  indulged  them  with  so 
long  and  so  favourable  an  audience,  they  should  have 
had  the  address  to  persuade  you,  that  I  am  a  heretic, 
an  enemy  to  the  faith,  a  persecutor  of  the  clergy,  and  a 
villain.  Thus  prejudiced,  ye  have  judged  me  unheard, 
and  ye  still  refuse  to  hear  me.  Remember,  however, 
that  ye  are  but  men:  and  as  such  ye  are  fallible,  and 
may  suffer  others  to  impose  on  you.  It  is  said,  that  all 
learning  and  all  wisdom  is  collected  in  this  council.  The 
more  then  does  it  behove  you  to  take  heed  that  ye  act 
not  rashly,  lest  ye  should  be  found  to  act  unjustly.  I 
know  that  it  is  the  design  of  this  council  to  inflict  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  me.  But  when  all  is  done,  I  am 
an  object  of  small  importance,  who  must  die  sooner  or 
later.  Therefore  what  I  say  is  more  for  your  sakes 
than  my  own.  It  ill  becomes  the  wisdom  of  so  many 
great  men  to  pass  an  unjust  decree  against  me,  and  by 


190  HISTORY  OF  THK  IChap.  5. 

this  to  establish  a  precedent  for  consequences  much 
more  pernicious  tlian  my  <leath  can  be."  The  council 
was  so  far  moved  by  his  reasonings,  that  they  resolved, 
after  he  had  answered  to  the  articles,  to  grant  him  liberty 
of  speech.  All  the  articles  were  read  to  him,  one  after 
another;  and  his  answers  were  delivered  with  an  acute- 
ness  and  dexterity,  which  astonished  the  court.  When 
he  was  upbraided  with  the  grossest  calumnies,  he  stood 
up,  with  extended  hands,  and  in  a  sorrowful  tone  cried 
out,  "  Wliich  way,  fathers,  shall  I  turn,  whom  shall  I  call 
upon  for  help,  or  to  bear  witness  to  my  innocence? 
Shall  I  make  my  address  to  you.^  But  my  persecutors 
have  entirely  alienated  your  minds  from  mCj  by  saying 
that  I  am  myself  a  persecutor  of  my  judges.  If  ye  give 
them  credit,  I  have  nothing  to  hope  for."  But,  it  being 
impossible  to  bring  the  affair  to  an  issue  at  that  time,  be- 
cause of  the  number  of  the  accusations,,  the  court  was 
adjourned  to  anotiier  day.* 

The  former  examination  took  place  on  May  23d,  1416, 
and  he  was  called  again  before  the  council,  according  to 
adjournment,  on  the  26lh  of  the  same  month.  On  that 
day  the  remaining  articles  were  read  to  him.  After  he 
had  answered  all  the  charges,  owning  some,  denying 
others,  and  cleared  up  the  rest,  he  was  told,  that  though 
he  had  been  convicted  of  heresy  by  proofs  and  witnesses 
most  unexceptionable,  yet  they  gave  him  liberty  to  speak, 
so  that  he  nnght  defend  himself  or  retract;  only,  if  he 
persisted  in  his  errors,  he  must  expect  judgment  without 
mercy. 

Jerom,  having  gained  this  liberty  of  speech,  though 
with  much  difficulty  and  opposition,  determined  to  avail 
himself  of  the  opportunity.     He  began  with  invoking  the 

*  Page  596,  L'Enfant. 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  191 

grace  of  God  so  to  govern  his  heart  and  liis  lips  that  he 
might  advance  nothing  but  what  sliould  conduce  to  Ihe 
salvation  of  his  soul.  "  I  am  not  ignorant/'  continued 
he,  "  that  many  excellent  men  have  been  borne  down  by 
false  witnesses,  and  uDJustly  condeiDiied."  lie  proved 
this  from  various  instances  adduced  both  from  sacred 
and  profane  history.  "Moses,"  said  he,  "was  often 
scandalized  by  his  brethren;  Joseph  was  sold  through 
envy,  and  afterwards  imprisoned  upon  false  reports. 
Isaiah,  Daniel,  and  almost  all  the  prophets  were  unjustly 
persecuted.  And  was  not  John  the  Baptist,  Jesus  Christ 
himself  j  and  most  of  his  apostles,  put  to  death  as  ungodly, 
seditious  persons?  In  other  books,  as  welJ  as  the  Bible, 
we  have  similar  instances.  Socrates  was  most  unjustly 
condemned  by  his  countrymen;  he  might  indeed  have 
saved  his  life  by  doing  violence  to  his  conscience,  but  he 
preferred  death  to  a  disingenuous  recantation.  Plato, 
Anaxagoras,  Zeno,  and  many  others,  were  maltreated 
in  various  ways." — "  It  is  a  shameful  thing,"  continued 
Jerom,  "  for  one  priest  to  be  condemned  unjustly  by  an- 
other; but  the  height  of  iniquity  is,  when  this  is  done  by 
a  council,  and  a  college  of  priests."  He  gave  so  proba- 
ble an  account  of  the  reasons  of  the  malice  of  his  adver- 
saries, that  for  some  moments  he  seemed  to  have  con- 
vinced his  judges.  "  1  came  iiere  of  my  own  accord," 
said  he,  "to  justify  myself,  which  a  man  conscious  of 
guilt  would  scarcely  have  done.  Those  who  know  the 
course  of  my  life  and  studies,  know  that  my  time  has 
been  spent  in  exercises  and  works  of  a  very  different 
tendency  from  any  thing  wicked  or  iieretical.  As  to  my 
sentiments,  the  most  learned  men  of  all  times  have  had 
different  opinions  concerning  religion;  they  disputed 
about  it,  not  to  combat  the  truth,  but  to  illustrate  it.     St. 


\92  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.S, 

Augustine,  and  his  contemporary  St.  Jerome,  were  not 
always  of  the  same  opinion,  yet  were  not  on  that  account 
accused  of  heresy.  I  shall  make  no  apology  for  my  sen- 
timents, because  I  am  not  conscious  of  maintaining  any 
error;  nor  shall  I  retract,  because  it  becomes  not  me  to 
retract  the  false  accusations  of  my  enemies."  He  then 
extolled  John  Huss,  vindicated  the  innocence  of  that 
holy  martyr,  and  declared  that  he  was  ready  to  suffer 
after  his  example.  "  This  pastor,"  said  he,  "  by  finding 
fault  wit!)  the  abuses  of  the  clergy,  and  the  pride  of  the 
prelates,  did  not  act  against  the  church  of  God."  He 
declared  that  he  hoped  one  day  to  see  his  accusers,  and 
to  call  them  to  judgment  before  the  tribunal  of  the  sove- 
reign Judge  of  the  world.  He  accused  the  council  of 
an  act  of  high  injustice  in  trying  him  a  second  time  on 
the  same  indictment,  and  declared  that  he  should  never 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  new  commissioners, 
but  should  look  on  them  as  judges*  sitting  in  the  chair 
of  pestilence.  "I  came,"  said  he,  "to  Constance  to  de- 
fend John  Huss,  because  I  had  advised  him  to  go  thither, 
and  had  promised  to  come  to  his  assistance,  in  case  he 
should  be  oppressed.  Nor  am  I  ashamed  here  to  make 
public  confession  of  my  own  cowardice.  I  confess,  and 
tremble  while  I  think  of  it,  that  through  fear  of  punish- 
ment by  fire,  I  basely  consented  against  my  conscience 
to  the  condemnation  of  the  doctrine  of  Wickliff  and 
Huss."  He  then  declared  that  he  disowned  his  recanta- 
tion, as  the  greatest  crime  of  which  he  had  ever  been 
guilty;  and  that  he  was  determined  to  his  last  breath  to 
adhere  to  the  principles  of  those  two  men,  which  were 
as  sound  and  pure,  as  their  lives  were  holy  and  blame- 
less.    He  excepted  indeed  Wickliff's  opinion  of  the  sa- 

■'  Page  583,  L'Enfant. 


Cent.  15.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  193 

crament,  and  declaied  his  agreement  with  the  Roman 
church  in  the  article  of  transubstantiation.  Having  con- 
cluded his  speech,  he  was  carried  back  to  prison,  and 
was  there  visited  by  several  persons,  who  hoped  to  re- 
claim him,  but  in  vain. 

On  May  30tl),  Jerom  being  brought  again  before  the 
council,  the  bishop  of  Lodi  preaciied  a  sermon  from 
these  words,  "  lie  upbraideth  them  with  tlieir  unbelief 
and  hardness  of  heart/'*  He  exhorted  the  prisoner  not 
to  show  himself  incorrigible,  as  he  had  hitherto  done.  He 
paid  some  tribute  of  praise  to  his  extraordinary  abilities, 
and  at  the  same  time  extolled  the  lenity  and  generosity 
with  which  he  had  been  treated  by  the  council.  The 
reader,  now  in  possession  of  the  facts,  might  smile  at  this 
gross  flattery,  if  the  subject  were  less  grave  and  less  af- 
fecting. Jerom,  raising  himself  on  a  bench,  undertook 
to  confute  the  preacher.  He  declared  again,  that  he  had 
done  nothing  in  his  whole  life,  of  which  he  so  bitterly 
repented,  as  his  recantation;  that  he  revoked  it  from  his 
very  soul,  as  also  the  letter  which  he  had  been  induced 
to  write  on  that  subject  to  the  Bohemians;  that  he  had 
been  guilty  of  the  meanest  falsehood  by  making  that  re- 
cantation; and  that  he  esteemed  John  Huss  a  holy  man. 
At  the  same  time  he  declared,  that  he  knew  no  heresy 
to  which  Huss  was  attached,  unless  they  should  call  by 
that  name  his  open  disapprobation  of  the  vices  of  the 
clergy;  and  that  if  after  this  declaration  credit  should 
still  be  given  to  the  false  witness  borne  against  him,  he 
should  consider  the  fathers  ot^  the  council  themselves,  as 
unworthy  of  all  belief.  '"  This  pious  man."  said  Jerom, 
alluding  to  John  Huss,  "  could  not  bear  to  see  the  reve- 
nues of  the  church,  which  were  principally  designed  for 

*  Mark  xvi.  14. 
VoL.'IT.  2  B 


194  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  S, 

the  maintenance  of  the  poor,  and  for  works  of  liberality, 
spent  in  debauchery  with  women,  in  feasts,  hounds,  fur- 
niture, gaudy  apparel,  and  other  expenses,  unwortUy  of 
Christianity." 

The  lirmness,  eloquence,  and  zeal  of  Jerom,  sensibly 
affected  the  council.  They  proposed  to  him  once  more 
to  retract.  But  he  replied,  "  Ye  have  determined  to 
condemn  me  unjustly;  but  after  my  death  I  shall  leave  a 
sting  in  your  consciences,  and  a  worm  that  shall  never 
die.  I  appeal  to  the  sovereign  Judge  of  all  the  earth,  in 
whose  presence  ye  must  appear  to  answer  me."  After 
sentence  had  been  pronounced  against  him,  he  was  de- 
livered to  the  secular  power.  He  was  treated  with  scorn 
and  insult,  similar  to  that  which  his  friend  Huss  had  ex- 
perienced. He  put  the  mitre  with  his  own  hands  on  his 
head,*  saying  that  he  was  glad  to  wear  it  for  the  sake  of 
Him,  who  was  crowned  with  one  of  thorns.  As  he 
went  to  execution,  he  sung  the  apostles'  creed,  and  the 
hymns  of  the  church,  with  a  loud  voice  and  a  cheerful 
countenance.  He  kneeled  at  the  stake,  and  prayed. 
Being  then  bound,  he  raised  his  voice,  and  sung  a 
paschal  hymn  then  much  in  vogue  in  the  church.f 

Hail!  liappy  day,  and  ever  be  adored, 

When  hell  was  conquered  by  great  heaven's  Lord. 

The  executioner  approaching  to  the  pile  behind  his 
back,  lest  Jerom  sliould  see  him,  "  Come  forward,"  said 
the  martyr  to  him,  "  and  put  fire  to  it  before  my  face. "J 
He  continued  alive  in  the  flames  a  full  quarter  of  an 
hour.  And  there  is  the  most  unanimous  testimony  given 
by  all  writers,  Hussite  and  Roman  Catholic,  to  the  he- 

*  L'Enfant,  vol.  i.  p.  591. 

f  Salve,  festa  dies,  toto  venerabilis  xvo,  Qua  Deus  infernum  vicit,  et  astr« 
tenens. 

i  L'Enfant,  vol.  i.  p.  599 


Cent.  15.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  195 

loic  courage  and  fortitiule  with  which  he  sustained  the 
torment.  When  he  was  much  scorched  with  the  fury 
of  the  fire,  and  almost  smothered  in  its  flame,  he  was 
heard  to  cry  out,  "  0  Lord  God,  have  mercy  on  me! 
have  mercy  on  mel"  And  a  little  afterward,  "  Thou 
knowest  how  I  have  loved  thy  truth.''  By  and  bye,  the 
wind  parted  the  flames,  and  exhibited  his  body  full  of 
large  blisters,  a  dreadful  spectacle  to  the  beholders;  yet 
even  then  his  lips  are  said  to  have  continued  still  moving, 
as  if  his  mind  was  actuated  by  intense  devotion. 

Among  other  valuable  purposes  to  which  the  council 
of  Constance  was  rendered  subservient  under  Divine 
Providence,  this  was  not  of  the  least  importance,  that 
the  wickedness  of  the  ecclesiastical  system,  then  preva- 
lent in  Europe,  was  demonstrated  before  all  the  world. 
All  the  knowledge  and  ability,  which  Europe  could  afford, 
was  collected  at  Constance;  yet  the  able  and  learned  fa- 
thers of  this  council  were  so  far  from  reforming  the  evils 
of  what  they  called  the  church,  that  they  proved  it  to 
be  antichrist  more  certainly  than  ever.  It  could  no 
longer  be  said,  that  the  particular  character  of  such  or 
such  popes  was  the  cause  of  the  crimes  of  the  clergy; 
the  whole  of  the  then  clerical  establishment  concurred 
in  support  of  iniquity. 

I  have  already  taken  notice  of  the  confession,  which, 
in  the  sermon  preached  at  Constance,  they  themselves 
made,  of  the  extreme  wickedness  of  the  church.  An- 
other remarkable  instance  of  the  same  kind  occurred  on 
Whitsunday,  the  seventh  of  June,  a  very  little  time  after 
the  death  of  Jerom.  A  doctor  preached  a  sermon  from 
these  words:  "  They  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost." 
"Instead  of  the  seven  gifts,"  says  the  preacher,  "which 
God  granted  to  the  apostles,  I  fear  that  the  devil  keeps 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  5. 

his  pentecost  in  the  hearts  of  most  of  the  clergy,  and  that 
he  has  inspired  them  with  the  seven  contrary  vices.'' 
He  then  gave  a  catalogue  of  those  vices. 

But  let  not  malicious  infidelity  exult  in  these  incontro- 
vertible proofs  of  the  corrupt  state  of  the  church.     One 
of  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity,  namely,  origi- 
nal sin,  or  the  native  depravity  of  man,   as  an  apostate 
creature,  is  strongly  illustrated  by  the  general  wicked- 
ness  of  merely  nominal   Christians.     In    the    Roman 
church  the  real  gospel  itself  was  then  neither  understood, 
nor  preached,  nor  valued.     Hence  the  natural  wicked- 
ness of  mankind  met  with  no  resistance:  even  the  papists 
could  see  that  the  whole  ecclesiastical  system  was  vicious 
in  its  head  and  members,  yet  they  trifled  respecting  sins 
with  the  most  scandalous  levity,  and  persecuted  to  death 
those  very  persons,  who  earnestly  opposed  the  corrup- 
tion of  the  limes. 

All  this,  however,  affords  no  just  ground  of  triumph 
to  the  infidel.  The  mere  nominal  Christian  is,  in  a 
scriptural  sense,  an  unbeliever  as  well  as  himself;  and 
while  neither  of  these  characters  overcome  the  world,  be- 
cause he  has  not  true  faith*  it  is  abundantly  evident, 
and  I  trust  it  has  appeared  so  from  the  course  of  this 
history,  that  where  real  Christianity  is  understood,  and 
received,  there  sincerity,  and  all  genuine  virtues,  do  ac- 
tually thrive  and  adorn  the  Gospel. 

Among  the  valuable  lessons  to  be  learnt  from  the  his- 
tory of  the  council  of  Constance,  this  is  one;  namely, 
Those  who  really  mean  to  serve  God  and  his  Christ,  and 
to  profit  mankind  in  religion,  whether  they  be  pastors  or 
synods,  must  begin,  if  the  people  be  in  a  state  of  igno- 
rance, with  explaining  the  written  word  of  God;  they 

'  1  John  V.  4,  5. 


Cent.iS.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  107 

must  plainly  set  forth  the  essential  doctrines  of  salvation 
by  Jesus  Christ,  and  then  erect  the  whole  structure  of 
their  reformation  upon  those  doctrines. 

How  void  the  council  was  of  all  true  knowledge  of  the 
scripture  doctrines  of  salvation,  will  appear  from  the  bull, 
by  which  the  pope  dissolved  that  assembly.     An  extract 
of  it  is  as  follows:  "Martin,  bishop,  servant  of  the  ser- 
vants of  God,  at  the  request  of  the  sacred  council,  we 
dismiss  it.     Moreover,  by  the  authority  of  Almighty  God, 
and  of  the  blessed  Apostles  St.  Peter  and  St,  Paul,  and 
by  our  own  authority,  we  grant  to  all  the  members  of 
the  council  plenary  absolution  of  all  their  sins  once  in 
their  lives,  so  that  every  one  of  them,  within  two  months 
after  the  notification  of  this  privilege  has  come  to  his 
knowledge,  may  enjoy  the  benefit  of  the  said  absolution 
in  form.     We  also  grant  them  the  same  privilege  in  the 
moment  of  death;  and  we  extend  it  to  the  domestics,  as 
well  as  to  the  masters,  on  condition,  that  from  the  day  of 
the  notification,  both  the  one  and  the  other  fast  every 
Friday,  during  a  whole  year,  for  the  absolution  granted 
to  them  while  alive;  and  another  year  for  the  absolution 
in  the  moment  of  death,  unless  there  be  some  lawful  im- 
pediment, in  which  case  they  shall  do  other  works  of 
piety.     And  after  the  second  year  they  shall  be  obliged 
to  fast  on  Fridays  during  life,  or  to  do  some  other  acts 
of  piety,  on  pain  of  incurring  the  displeasure  of  Al- 
mighty God  and  of  the  blessed  Apostles  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul.'^ 

Martin  V.  by  making  agreements  with  the  nations  se- 
parately, found  means  to  defeat  all  attempts  after  any 
thing  that  might  deserve  the  name  of  a  general  and  effec- 
tual reformation.  But  though  this  new  pontiff  seemed 
reluctant  and  dilatory  in  correcting  abuses,  he  soon  dis- 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE  iCIwp.  4. 

covered  a  disposition  sufficiently  active  in  supporting  his 
own  authority. 

He  persecuted  the  Hussites  most  vigorously.  These 
were  divided  into  two  bodies,  the  Calixtines,*  who  dif- 
fered from  the  church  of  Rome  only  in  the  affair  of  the 
new  communion  in  both  kinds;  and  the  Taborites,  who 
are  thought  to  have  much  resembled  the  Waldenses.  A 
greater  encomium,  the  circumstances  of  those  times  being 
fully  considered,  could  scarcely  be  passed  upon  them. 
But  it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  this  encomium  with  the 
accounts  of  their  military  ferocity.  Most  probably,  wheat 
was  mixed  with  the  tares;  and  while  one  part  of  the 
people  lived  the  life  of  "  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God,"| 
the  other  could  produce  few  marks  of  zeal  in  the  cause 
of  religion,  except  those  which  were  of  a  bloody  and 
violent  kind. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

d  BrieJ  Review  of  the  Fifteenth  Centunj. 

The  most  remarkable  events,  which  distinguish  this 
period  in  general  history,  appear  to  have  been  directed 
by  Divine  Providence  with  a  particular  subserviency  to 
the  reformation.  Only  in  this  view  they  will  deserve 
the  notice  of  the  historian  of  the  church  of  Christ.  In 
the  year  1453,  Constantinople  was  taken  by  the  Turkish 
emperor  Mahomet  II.  From  the  year  1299,  when  the 
four  angels  were  loosed,  which  had  been  bound  in  the 
river  Euphrates,*  that  is  to  say,  when  four  Turkish  sui- 
tes were  established  in  the  east,,  the  Turks  had  gra- 

*  From  caUx,  the  cupr  f  Gal.  xi.  20,  ±  Rev.  ix.  14. 


Cent.\5r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  199 

dually  increased  their  power,  and  filled  the  world  with 
carnage  and  confusion.  In  the  mean  time,  the  princes 
of  Europe,  absorbed  in  the  vortex  of  narrow  and  con- 
tracted politics,  indolently  beheld  these  ferocious  barba- 
rians advancing  further  and  further  to  the  west,  and 
formed  no  generous  plan  of  defensive  combination.  It 
was  in  vain  tiiat  the  distressed  emperors  of  the  east  im- 
plored the  aid  of  the  western  princes.  The  common 
enemy  overflowed  and  j)assed  over, — to  use  the  prophetic 
language  of  Daniel, — and  having  once  gained  a  footing 
in  Europe,  he  continued  to  domineer  over  a  large  part 
of  Christendom,  and  to  desolate  the  nations.  The  same 
unerring  spirit  of  prophecy  which  foretold  these  amazing 
scenes  by  St.  John,  foretold  also  the  continued  obduracy 
and  impenitence  of  the  nominal  Christians.  They  re- 
pented not  of  their  idolatry  and  practical  wickedness.* 

There  cannot  be  a  more  melancholy  contemplation, 
than  to  observe  the  infatuation  of  nations,  who  have  pro- 
voked God  to  forsake  them.  Though  the  voice  of  Pro- 
vidence is  addressed  to  their  senses,  they  consider  not 
the  U'orks  of  the  Lord,  and  at  the  same  time  seem  to  be 
as  destitute  of  political  sagacity,  as  they  are  of  religious 
principle.  This  fifteenth  century  affords  an  awful  in- 
stance of  these  things.  The  Turks  oppressed  Europe 
with  persevering  cruelty;  but  Europe  neither  humbled 
itself  before  God,  nor  took  any  measures  to  check  the 
ambition  of  the  Mahometans.  The  Sovereign  of  the 
Universe,  however,  was  bringing  order  out  of  confusion, 
and  light  out  of  darkness.  The  learned  men,  who  emi- 
grated from  Greece,  revived  the  study  of  letters  in  Eu- 
rope, and  paved  the  way  for  that  light  of  classical  erudi- 
tion, which  was  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  all  those 

*  Rev.  ix.  21. 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  lCliap.4. 

subordinate  means,  which  were  employed  in  the  demoli- 
tion of  idolatry  and  superstition.  By  a  surprising  con- 
currence of  circumstances,  the  noble  art  of  printing  was 
invented  about  the  year  1140.*  Learning  was  cultivated 
with  incredible  ardour:  the  family  of  the  Medici  was 
raised  up  to  patronise  science;  and  toward  the  end  of 
this  same  century,  Erasmus  arose,  whose  good  sense, 
taste,  and  industry,  were  uncommonly  serviceable  to  the 
reformation.  By  his  labours,  monastic  superstition  re- 
ceived a  wound  which  has  never  since  been  healed;  and 
learned  men  were  furnished  with  critical  skill  and  in- 
genuity, of  which  they  failed  not  to  avail  themselves  in 
the  instruction  of  mankind  to  a  degree  beyond  what 
Erasmus  himself  had  ever  conceived. 

Thus,  under  the  care  of  Divine  Providence,  materials 
were  collected  for  that  beautiful  edifice  which  began  to 
be  erected  in  the  next  century.  In  the  fifteenth  century, 
the  great  value  and  benefit  of  these  materials  scarcely 
appeared;  the  same  corruptions  both  of  faith  and  of 
practice,  which  have  so  often  been  described,  still  pre- 
vailed in  all  their  horrors. 

In  the  mean  time  there  were  some  individuals,  who, 
though  not  connected  with  any  particular  Christian  so- 
cieties, evidenced  the  power  of  godliness.  Among  these, 
Thomas  Rhedon,  a  Frenchman  and  a  Carmelite  friar, 
was  distinguished.!  This  man  came  to  Rome  with  the 
Venitian  ambassadors,  having  undertaken  this  journey 
in  the  hope  of  improving  his  understanding  in  religious 
concerns.  He  had  hitherto  no  conception  of  the  enor- 
mous corruptions  of  that  venal  city,  and  was  therefore 
astonished  to  find  that  even  the  habitation  of  St.  Peter 
was  become  a  den  of  thieves.     His  zealous  spirit  was 

*  Mosheim,  vol.  i.  p.  764,  j  Fox,  vol.  i.  p.  758. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  201 

stirred  up  in  him,  to  give  an  open  testimony  to  evangeli- 
cal truth;  and  at  length  by  continual  preaehing  he  incur- 
red the  haired  of  the  ruling  powers.  In  fine,  he  was 
degraded  from  the  priesthood,  and  was  burnt  four  years 
after  his  arrival  at  Rome,  in  the  year  14b6,  during  the 
pontificate  of  Eugenius,  the  successor  of  that  same  Mar- 
tin who  was  raised  to  the  popedom  by  the  council  of 
Constance.  Several  others,  who  like  him  were  enlight- 
ened, and  like  him  were  faithful  to  their  God,  though 
unconnected  with  any  particular  church,  were  executed 
in  Germany,  not  long  after  the  burning  of  John  Huss. 

Jerom  Savanarola,  an  Italian  monk,  by  his  zeal,  learn- 
ing and  piety,  incurred  in  an  eminent  manner,  the  hatred 
of  the  court  of  Rome.  Notwithstanding  the  repeated 
menaces  of  the  pope,  he  continued  to  preach  the  word 
of  God  with  great  vehemence,  and  with  a  degree  of  light 
and  knowledge,  which  seems  superior  to  that  of  most,  if 
not  of  all  men,  in  that  age.  In  1496,  he  upheld  the 
standard  of  the  gospel  at  Florence,  though  many  warned 
him  of  the  danger  to  which  he  was  exposed  by  his  great 
boldness.  At  length,  in  (he  year  1498,*  he,  and  two 
other  friars,  named  Dominic  and  Silvester,  were  im- 
prisoned. During  his  confinement,  he  wrote  a  spiritual 
meditation  on  the  thirty-first  psalm,  in  which  he  described 
the  conflict  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit,  a  subject 
peculiarly  evangelical,  and  which  needs  some  real  exer- 
cise of  practical  godliness,  in  order  to  be  duly  understood 
and  relished  by  mankind.  The  pope's  legates  arriving 
at  Florence,  Jerom  and  his  two  companions,  were  charged 
with  maintaining  various  heretical  opinions,  one  of  which 
deserves  to  be  distinctly  mentioned,  as  characteristic  of 
the  times  in  which  they  lived!     For  example,  they  were 

'  Fox,  p,  830. 
You  IT.  3  C 


202  HISTORY  (W  THE  iChap.  4. 

accused,  in  explicit  terms,  of  having  preached  the  doc- 
trine of  free  justification   through  faith  in   Christ;  and 
after  they  had  persevered  in'  what  was  called  an  obstinate 
heresy,   they  were  degraded,   delivered   to  the  secular 
power  at  Florence,  and  burnt  to  death  in  the  year  1499. 
There  were  also  some  souls  who  in  secret  served  God 
in  the  gospel  of  his  Son;  and  who  knew  what  spirituality 
in  religion  meant,  though  from  some  particular  circum- 
stances they  never  were  exposed  to  suffer  in  any  con- 
siderable degree  for  righteousness'  sake.     Among  these 
was  the  famous  Thomas  a  Kempis,  who  died  in  1471* 
Instead  of  entering  into  the  tedious  dispute  concerning 
the  author  of  the  well  known  book  of  the  Imitation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  let  us  be  content  witli  ascribing  it  to  this 
monk,  its  reputed  author.     It  would  be  impertinent  in 
me  to  enter  into  any  detail  of  a  performance,  so  familiar 
to  religious  readers;  and  let  it  suffice  to  say,  that  it 
abounds  with  the  most  pious  and  devotional  sentiments, 
and  could  not  have  been  written  but  by  one  well  versed 
in  Christian  experience,  though  it  partakes  of  the  com- 
mon defect  of  monastic  writers;  that  is  to  say,  it  does 
not  sufficiently  illustrate  the  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith. 

Vincent  Ferrer,  though  bred  in  the  midst  of  darkness, 
and  connected  with  the  worst  of  ecclesiastical  characters, 
was  a  shining  model  of  piety. f  He  was  born  at  Valencia 
in  Spain,  became  a  Dominican  friar,  and  a  zealous 
preacher  of  the  word  of  God.  A  quotation  from  his 
book  on  Spiritual  Life  will  deserve  the  attention  of 
students.  "  Do  you  desire  to  study  to  advantage.-^  Con- 
sult God  more  than  books,  and  ask  him  humbly  to  make 
you  understand  what  you  fead.     Study  drains  the  mind 

*  Du  Pin.  f  BuUer,  vol.  iv. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  OQS 

and  heart.     Go  from  time  to  time  to  be  refreshed  at 
the  feet  of  Christ  under  his  cross.     Some  moments  of 
repose  there  give  fresh  vigour  and  new  light;  interrupt 
your  study  by  short,  but  fervent  ejaculations.     Science 
is  the  gift  of  the  Father  of  lights.     Do  not  consider  it  as 
attainable,  merely  by  the  work  of  your  own  mind  or  in- 
dustry."    This  holy  person  was  retained  in  the  service 
of  Peter  de  Luna,  who,  as  pope,  took  the  name  of  Bene- 
dict XIII.  and  was  one  of  tiiose  three  popes,  that  were 
deposed  by  the  council  of  Constance.     Very  few  men 
are  represented  in  history  to  have  been  of  a  more  proud 
and  deceitfid  character  than  Peter  de  Luna.     Vincent 
intreated  his  master   to  resign   his  dignity.     Benedict 
rather  artfully  eluded,  than  directly  refused  the  request. 
Bishoprics  and  a  cardinal's  hat  were  then  offered  to 
Vincent;  but  his  heart  was  insensible  to  the  charms  of 
worldly  honours  and  dignities.     He  very  earnestly  wish- 
ed to  become  an  apostolic  missionary;  and,  in  this  re- 
spect, he  was  at  length  gratified  by  Benedict.     At  the 
age  of  forty-two  he  began  to  preach  with  great  fervor 
in  every  town  from  Avignon  towards  Valencia.     His 
word  is  said  to  have  been  powerful  among  the  Jews,  the 
Mahometans,   and  others.     After   he   had  laboured  in 
Spain,  France,  and  Italy,  he  then,  at  the  desire  of  Henry 
IV.  king  of  England,  exerted  himself  in  the  same  man- 
ner throughout  the  chief  towns  of  England,   Scotland, 
and  Ireland.     Still  finding  Peter  de  Luna  entirely  obsti- 
nate in  his  ambition,  he  renounced  his  service,  and,  by 
the  desire  of  king  Henry  V.,  made  Normandy,  and  Brit- 
tany, the  theatre  of  his  labours  during  the  last  two  years 
of  his  life.     He  died  at  the  age  of  62. 

How  truly  humble  this  man  was,  appears  from  the 
whole  of  (his  little  account  which  I  can  collect  concern- 


204  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4, 

ing  him;  and  particularly,  from  his  own  confession:  "  My 
whole  life  is  a  sink  of  iniquity;  I  am  all  infection;  I  am 
corruption  throughout.  I  feel  this  to  be  so  more  and  more. 
Whoever  is  proud,  shall  stand  without.  Christ  manifests 
his  truth  to  the  lowly,  and  hides  himself  from  the  proud." 

Antoninus,  archbishop  of  Florence,  born  in  the  year 
1389,  seems  to  have  been  a  similar  character.*  Great 
things  are  related  of  his  pastoral  labours  and  services. 
His  secretary,  observing  his  indefatigable  exertions,  once 
said  to  him,  "  The  life  of  a  bishop  is  truly  pitiable,  if  he 
is  doomed  to  hve  in  such  a  constant  hurry  as  you  Vise." 
"  To  enjoy  inward  peace,"  replied  he,  "  we  must,  amidst 
all  our  affairs,  ever  reserve  a  closet  as  it  were  in  our 
hearts,  where  we  are  to  remain  retired  within  ourselves, 
and  where  no  worldly  business  can  enter."  He  died 
aged  70;  and  is  said  to  have  frequently  repeated  in  his 
last  moments,  words  which  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
use  in  the  time  of  his  health;  namely,  "  To  serve  God  is 
to  reign." 

Bernardin,!  of  the  republic  of  Sienna,  was  born  in  the 
year  1380,  and  on  account  of  his  uncommon  zeal  in 
preaching,  was  called  "  the  burning  coal."  He  gave 
this  advice  to  clergymen:  "  Seek  first  the  kingdom  of 
God;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  will  give  you  wisdom,  which 
no  adversary  can  withstand."  This  excellent  man  ex- 
pressed an  earnest  wish  to  be  able  to  cry  out  with  a 
trumpet  through  the  world,  "  How  long  will  ye  love  sim- 
plicity?"    He  died  aged  sixty-three  years. 

John  Wesselus  of  Groningen,  was  one  of  the  most 
learned  men  of  the  fifteenth  century,  and  was  so  cele- 
brated for  his  talents  and  attainments,  as  to  have  been 
denominated  the  light  of  the  world. 

*  Butler,  vol.  v,  j  Ibid. 


Cent.  15.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  205 

He  was  born  about  the  year  1419,  not  in  1400,  as 
some  have  supposed.  He  died  in  1489.  He  has  been 
justly  called  the  Forerunner  of  Luther. 

That  great  reformer  was  so  astonished,  when  he  first 
met  with  some  pieces  of  the  composition  of  Wesselus, 
that  in  the  Leipsic  edition  of  1522,  he  wrote  a  preface 
to  the  work,  in  which  he  says,*  "  By  the  wonderful  pro- 
vidence of  God,  I  have  been  compelled  to  become  a  pub- 
lic man,  and  to  fight  battles  with  those  monsters  of  in- 
dulgences and  papal  decrees.  All  along  I  supposed  my- 
self to  stand  alone;  yet  have  I  preserved  so  much  ani- 
mation in  the  contest,  as  to  be  every  where  accused  of 
heat  and  violence,  and  of  biting  too  hard.  However, 
the  truth  is,  I  have  earnestly  wished  to  have  done  with 
these  followers  of  Baal  among  whom  my  lot  is  cast,  and 
to  live  quietly  in  some  corner;  for  I  have  utterly  despair- 
ed of  making  any  impression  on  these  brazen  foreheads, 
and  iron  necks  of  impiety. 

"  But  behold,  in  this  state  of  mind,  I  am  told  that  even 
in  these  days,  there  is  in  secret  a  remnant  of  the  people 
of  God.  Nay,  I  am  not  only  told  so,  but  I  rejoice  to  see 
a  proof  of  it.  Here  is  a  new  publication  by  Wesselus  of 
Groningen,  a  man  of  an  admirable  genius,  and  of  an  un- 
commonly enlarged  mind.  It  is  very  plain  he  was  taught 
of  God,  as  Isaiah  prophesied  that  Christians  should  be.f 
And  as  in  my  own  case,  so  with  him,  it  cannot  be  sup- 
posed that  he  received  his  doctrines  from  men.  If  I  had 
read  his  works  before,  my  enemies  might  have  supposed 
that  I  had  learnt  every  thing  from  Wesselus,  such  a  per- 
fect coincidence  there  is  in  our  opinions.  As  to  myself, 
I  not  only  derive  pleasure,  but  strength  and  courage 
from  this  publication.     It  is  now  impossible  for  me  to 

»  Ep.  n.  p.  89,  f  Isaiah,  Tiv.  13 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  I, 

doubt  whether  I  am  right  in  the  points  which  I  have  in- 
culcated, when  I  see  so  entire  an  agreement  in  sentiment, 
and  almost  the  same  words  used  by  this  eminent  peison, 
who  lived  in  a  different  age,  in  a  distant  country,  and  in 
circumstances  very  unlike  my  own.  I  am  surprised  that 
this  excellent  Christian  writer  should  be  so  little  known. 
The  reason  may  be,  either  that  he  lived  without  blood 
and  contention  (for  this  is  the  only  thing  in  which  he 
differs  from  me.)  or  perhaps  the  Jews  of  our  times  sup- 
pressed his  writings  as  heretical. 

"  I  recommend  it  therefore  to  the  pious  reader,  to 
peruse  this  book  with  care  and  consideration.  The 
writer  peculiarly  excels  in  judgment;  and  moreover  he 
is  admirably  calculated  to  improve  the  judgment  of  his 
reader.  Lastly,  those  who  are  displeased  with  my  aspe- 
rity, will  meet  with  nothing  of  that  sort,  in  Wesselus,  to 
offend  them." 

A  complete  edition  of  the  works  of  Wesselus  was 
published  in  1614,  with  a  short  account  of  his  life,  by 
Albert  Hardenberg.  The  book  is  in  quarto,  and  con- 
tains above  nine  hundred  pages,  and  is  extremely  scarce. 


^irtcfntf)  Ccnturp. 


CFIAPTER  I. 

The  Reformation  under  the  Conduct  of  Luther, 

INTRODUCTION. 

The  sixteenth  century  opened  with  a  prospect  of  all 
others  the  most  gloomy,  in  the  eyes  of  every  true  Chris- 
tian.    Corruption  both  in  doctrine  and  in  practice  had 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  201 

exceeded  all  bounds;  and  the  general  face  of  Europe, 
though  the  name  of  Christ  was  every  where  professed, 
presented  nothing  that  was  properly  evangelical.  Great 
efforts  indeed  had  been  made  to  emancipate  the  church 
from  the  "powers  of  darkness;"  and  in  consequence 
many  individual  souls  had  been  conducted  into  the  path 
of  salvation.  Still  nothing  like  a  general  reformation 
had  taken  place  in  any  part  of  Europe.  For  it  must  be 
confessed,  that  the  labours  of  Claudius  of  Turin,  of  the 
Waldensian  Barbs,  of  Wickliff,  and  of  Huss,  had  not 
been  sufficiently  directed  against  the  predominant  cor- 
ruptions in  doctrine,  though  the  practical  abuses  of  the 
popedom  had  been  opposed  with  ingenuous  freedom  and 
disinterested  courage.  The  external  branches  only,  ra- 
ther than  the  bitter  root  itself,  which  supported  all  the 
evils  of  false  religion,  being  attacked,  no  permanent  or 
extensive  change  had  ensued.  The  Waldenses  were 
too  feeble  to  molest  the  popedom;  and  the  Hussites,  di- 
vided among  themselves  and  worn  out  by  a  long  series 
of  contentions,  were  reduced  to  silence.  Among  both 
were  found  persons  of  undoubted  godliness,  but  they  ap- 
peared incapable  of  making  effectual  impressions  on  the 
kingdom  of  antichrist.  The  Roman  pontiffs  were  still 
the  uncontrolled  patrons  of  impiety.  Neither  tlie  scan- 
dalous crimes  of  Alexander  VI.  nor  the  military  ferocity 
of  Julius  II.  (pontiffs  whose  actions  it  is  impertinent  to 
the  plan  of  this  history  to  detail)  seem  to  have  lessened 
the  dominion  of  the  court  of  Home,  or  to  have  opened 
the  eyes  of  men  so  as  to  induce  them  to  make  a  sober 
investigation  of  the  nature  of  true  religion. 

But  not  many  years  after  the  commencement  of  this 
century,  the  world  beheld  an  attempt  to  restore  the  light 
of  the  gospel,  more  evangelically  judicious,  more  simply 


208  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  1. 

founded  on  the  word  of  God,  and  more  ably  and  more 
successfully  conducted,  than  any  which  had  ever  been  seen 
since  the  days  of  Augustine.  Martin  Luther,  whom  Di- 
vine Providence  raised  up  for  this  purpose,  was  evidently 
the  instrument  rather  than  the  agent  of  this  reformation. 
He  was  led  from  step  to  step,  by  a  series  of  circum- 
stances, far  beyond  his  original  intentions;  and  in  a  man- 
ner, which  might  evince  the  excellency  of  the  power  to 
be  of  God  and  not  of  man.*  Even  the  reformations, 
which  took  place  in  several  other  parts  of  Europe,  be- 
sides Germany,  the  scene  of  Luther's  transactions,  were 
in  a  great  measure  derived  from  the  light,  which  he  was 
enabled  to  diffuse  among  mankind.  And  as  the  pecuhar 
excellency  of  the  revival  of  godliness  now  before  us  lay 
in  this,  that  it  was  conversant  in  fundamentals  of  doctrine, 
rather  than  in  correction  of  mere  abuses  of  practice, 
hence  the  history  of  Lutheranism  recommends  itself  in 
an  especial  manner  to  the  study  of  every  theologian. 

In  a  manuscript  history,  extending  from  the  year  1524> 
to  1541,  composed  by  Frederic  Myconius,  a  very  able 
coadjutor  of  Luther  and  Melancthon,  the  author  de- 
scribes the  state  of  religion  in  the  beginning  of  this  cen- 
tury in  striking  terms.  '•  The  passion  and  satisfaction  of 
Christ  were  treated  as  a  bare  history,  like  the  Odyssey 
of  Homer:  concerning  faith,  by  which  the  righteousness 
of  the  Redeemer  and  eternal  life  are  apprehended,  there 
was  the  deepest  silence:  Christ  was  described  as  a  severe 
judge,  ready  to  condemn  all  who  weref  destitute  of  the 
intercession  of  saints,  and  of  pontifical  interest.  In  the 
room  of  Christ,  were  substituted  as  saviours  and  inter- 
cessors, the  Virgin  Mary,  like  a  pagan  Diana,  and  other 
saints,  who  from  time  to  time  had  been  created  by  the 

*  2  Cor.  iv.  7.  f  Seckendorf,  vol.  i.  p.  4. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  209 

popes.  Nor  were  men,  it  seems,  entitled  to  the  benefit 
of  their  prayers,  except  they  deserved  it  of  them  by  their 
works.  What  sort  of  works  was  necessary  for  this  end 
was  distinctly  explained;  not  the  works  prescribed  in 
the  decalogue,  and  enjoined  on  all  mankind,  but  such  as 
enrich  the  priests  and  monks.  Those  who  died  neglect- 
ing these,  were  consigned  to  hell,  or  at  least  to  purgatory, 
till  they  were  redeemed  from  it  by  a  satisfaction  made 
either  by  tliemselves  or  by  their  proxies.  The  frequent 
pronunciation  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  salutation  of 
the  Virgin,  and  the  recitations  of  the  canonical  hours, 
constantly  engaged  those  who  undertook  to  be  religious. 
An  incredible  mass  of  ceremonious  observances  was  every 
where  visible;  while  gross  wickedness  was  practised, 
under  the  encouragement  of  indulgences,  by  which  the 
guilt  of  the  crimes  was  easily  expiated.  The  preaching 
of  the  word  was  the  least  part  of  the  episcopal  function: 
rites  and  processions  employed  the  bishops  perpetually, 
when  engaged  in  religious  exercises.  The  number  of 
clergy  was  enormous,  and  their  lives  were  most  scanda- 
lous. I  speak  of  those  whom  I  have  known  in  the  town 
of  Gothen,"  &c.  If  we  add  to  this  the  testimony  of  Pel- 
licanus,  another  of  Luther's  followers,  "  that  a  Greek 
Testament  could  not  be  procured  at  any  price  in  all  Ger- 
many,"* what  can  be  wanting  to  complete  the  picture  of 
that  darkness  in  which  men  lived,  and  in  what  did  the 
Christian  nations  differ  from  pagans,  except  in  the  name.-^ 
It  may  be  proper  to  mention,  that  even  the  university  of 
Paris,  the  first  of  all  the  famous  schools  of  learning, 
could  not  furnish  a  single  person  capable  of  supporting  a 
controversy  against  Luther  on  the  foundation  of  Scrip- 
ture.    And  scarcely  any  Christian  doctor  in  the  begin- 

*  Seckendorf,  vol.  i.  p.  132. 
Voi,.  II.  2  D 


flO  HISTORY  OF  THK  IChap.  1. 

ning  of  this  century  had  a  critical  knowledge  of  the  word 
of  God.  The  reader  may  tind  it  useful  to  be  detained  a 
little  longer  in  contemplating  the  situation  of  the  Chris- 
tian world  at  the  time  of  Luther's  appearance.  The  ob- 
servations I  have  to  offer  for  this  purpose  shall  be  ar- 
ranged under  four  distinct  heads;  and  they  will,  I  trust, 
assist  us  in  demonstrating  the  importance  of  the  reforma- 
tion, and  fully  evince  that  the  difference  between  Popery 
and  Protestantism  is  not  merely  verbal. 

1.  The  popish  doctrine  of  indulgences  was  then  in  the 
highest  reputation.  We  shall  be  in  no  danger  of  mis- 
representing this  doctrine,  if  we  state  it  according  to  the 
ideas  of  one  of  the  ablest  champions  of  popery.*  The 
church,  he  tells  us,  imposes  painful  works  or  sufferings 
on  offenders;  which,  being  discharged  or  undergone  with 
humility,  are  called  satisfactions;  and  when  regarding 
the  fervor  of  the  penitents,  or  other  good  works,  she  re- 
mits some  part  of  the  task;  this  is  called  "  an  indulgence." 
For  he  pretends  that  the  infinite  satisfaction  of  Christ 
may  be  applied  in  two  ways,  either  by  entire  remission, 
without  the  reservation  of  any  punishment,  or  by  the 
changing  of  a  greater  punishment  into  a  less.  "  The 
first,  he  says,  is  done  in  baptism,  the  second  in  the  case 
of  sins  committed  after  baptism."  And  here  he  gives  us 
-the  authority  of  the  council  of  Trent,  to  support  his  as- 
sertion, namely,  "  The  power  to  grant  indulgences  has 
been  committed  to  the  church  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
use  of  them  is  beneficial  to  salvation."  Those,  he  ob- 
serves, who  depart  this  life  indebted  to  divine  justice  for 
some  of  the  pains  reserved,  must  suffer  them  in  another 
life  in  the  state  of  purgatory. 

*  Bossuet,  bishop  of  Meaux,  in  an  Exposition  of  the  Doctrine  of  the  Catho 
lie  Church  in  matters  of  Controversy. 


Cent.  16.}  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  211 

Reliefs  are  however  provided  in  this  case  also;  the 
benefit  of  indulgences  extends,  it  seems,  beyond  the 
grave,  and  the  doctrine  of  commutation  for  offences,  ap- 
pHed  in  real  practice  by  the  friends  of  the  deceased,  was 
held  to  be  valid  in  heaven.  Tlie  foundation  of  all  this 
system  was  generally  believed  to  be  this:  There  was  sup- 
posed to  be  an  infinite  treasure  of  merit  in  Christ  and 
the  saints,  which  was  abundantly  more  than  sufficient 
for  themselves.  Thus,  what  is  strictly  true  of  the  Divine 
Saviour,  was  asserted  also  of  saints,  namely,  that  they 
had  done  works  of  supererogation.  This  treasure  was 
deposited  in  the  church,  under  the  conduct  of  the  See 
of  Rome,  and  was  sold,  literally  sold  for  money,  at  that 
See's  discretion,  to  those  who  were  able  and  willing  to 
pay  for  it;  and  few  were  found  willing  to  undergo  the 
course  of  a  severe  penance  of  unpleasant  austerities, 
when  they  could  afford  to  commute  for  it  by  pecuniary 
payments.  The  popes,  and  under  them  the  bishops  and 
the  clergy,  particularly  the  Dominican  and  Franciscan 
friars,  had  the  disposition  of  this  treasure;  and  as  the 
pontiffs  had  the  power  of  canonizing  new  saints  at  their 
own  will,  the  fund  was  ever  growing;  and  so  long  as  the 
system  could  maintain  its  credit,  the  riches  of  their 
church,  thus  secularized  under  the  appearance  of  reli- 
gion, became  a  sea  without  a  shore.  No  impartial  ex- 
aminer of  authentic  records  will  say,  that  I  have  over- 
charged this  account  of  indulgences.  In  fact,  these  were 
the  symptoms  of  the  last  stage  of  papal  depravity;  and  as 
the  moral  evils,  which  they  encouiaged,  were  plain  to 
every  one  not  totally  destitute  of  discernment,  they  were 
the  first  objects  assaulted  by  the  reformers. 

2.  But  the  views  of  those  wise  and  holy  personages 
were  far  more  extensive.     They  saw,  that  a  practice  so 


212  HISTORY  OF  THE  iClwp.  1. 

scandalously  corrupt,  was  connected  with  tlie  grossest 
ignorance  of  the  nature  of  gospel  grace.     The  doctrine 
of  justification,  in  its  explicit  form,  had   been  lost  for 
many  ages  to  the  Christian  world.     If  men  had  really 
believed,  that  by  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  sal- 
vation was  obtained,  and  that  God  "justifies  the  ungodly" 
through  faith  alone,  how  could  they  have  been  imposed 
on  by  the  traffic  of  indulgences.'^     In  whatever  manner 
the  papist  might  subtilize  and  divide,  he  was  compelled 
by  his  system  to  hold,  that  by  a  compliance  with  the  rules 
of  the  church,  either  in  the  way  of  indulgences,  or  by 
some  severer  mode,  pardon  was  to  be  obtained:  and  that 
the  satisfaction  of  Christ  was  not  sufficiently  meritorious 
for  this  end;  in  other  words,  that  the  gift  of  God  is  not 
eternal  life  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.*    And  in  fact  the 
preachers  of  indulgences,  whether  popes  themselves  or 
their  ministers,  held  out  to  the  people  with  sufficient 
clearness,  that  the  inheritance  of  eternal  life  was  to  be 
purchased  by  indulgences.     Proofs  of  this  have  already 
appeared  in  the  course  of  this  history,  and  more  will  be 
given  hereafter.     The  testimony  of  Sleidan,  one  of  the 
most  judicious  and  dispassionate  historians,  to  the  nature 
of  indulgences,  well  deserves  to  be  transcribed  in  this 
place.     It  is  contained  in  the  begijining  of  his  excellent 
history.     "  Pope  Leo  X.   making  use  of  that   power, 
which  his  predecessors  had  usurped  over  all  Christian 
churches,  sent  abroad  into  all  kingdoms  his  letters  and 
bulls,  with  ample  promises  of  the  full  pardon  of  sins,  and 
of  eternal  salvation  to  such  as  would  purchase  the  same 
with  money!!!"     Even  when  the  traffic  of  indulgences 
was  checked  by  the  pontiffij,  as  being  carried  on  in  too 
gross  a  manner,  no  clear  account  was  given  in  what  the 

*  See  Roin.  vi,  end. 


Cent.XG.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  213 

abuse  consisted.  Iti  fine,  it  was  evident,  that  no  refor- 
mation could  take  place  through  the  medium  of  quahfy- 
ing  and  correcting  abuses  of  this  traffic.  The  system 
itself  was  wliolly  impious,  and  the  right  knowledge  of 
justitication  was  the  only  remedy  adeqfuate  to  the  evil. 
This,  therefore,  the  reader  is  to  look  for,  as  the  most 
capital  object  of  the  reformation:  and  thus,  in  the  demo- 
lition of  one  of  the  vilest  perversions  of  superstition,  there 
suddenly  arose  and  revived,  in  all  its  infant  simplicity, 
that  apostolical  doctrine,  in  which  is  contained  the  great 
mystery  of  the  Scriptures. 

3.  The  state  of  mankind  at  that  time  was  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  reception  of  so  rich  a  display  of  gospel 
grace.  God  sent  a  plentiful  rain,  whereby  he  refreshed 
his  inheritance,  when  it  was  weary.*  Men  w^ere  then 
bound  fast  in  fetters  of  iron:  their  whole  religion  was 
one  enormous  mass  of  bondage.  Terrors  beset  them  on 
every  side;  and  the  fiction  of  purgatory  was  ever  teeming 
with  ghosts  and  apparitions.  Persons  truly  serious,  and 
such  there  ever  were  and  will  be,  because  there  ever 
w^as  and  will  be  a  true  church  on  earth,  were  so  clouded 
in  their  understandings  by  the  prevailing  corruptions  of 
the  hierarchy,  that  they  could  find  no  access  to  God  by 
Jesus  Christ.  The  road  of  simple  faith,  grounded  on  the 
divine  promises,  connected  always  with  real  humility,  and 
always  productive  of  hearty  and  grateful  obedience,  was 
stopped  up  with  briers  and  thorns.  No  certain  rest  could 
be  afforded  to  the  weary  mind,  and  state  of  doubt,  of  al- 
lowed doubt  and  anxiety,  was  recommended  by  the  papal 
system.  What  a  joyful  doctrine  then  was  that  of  the 
real  gospel  of  remission  of  sins  through  Christ  alone  re- 
ceived by  faith!  a  doctrine,  which  is  indeed  to  be  found 

*  Ps.  bcviii.  9. 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  1. 

every  where  in  the  Scriptures;  but  the  Scriptures  were 
almost  unknown  among  the  people  at  the  beginning  of 
the  Reformation. 

4.  Should  the  philosophical  sceptic,  or  the  pharisaical 
formalist,  express  his  surprise,  that  I  should  lay  so  great 
a  stress  on  the  Christian  article  of  justification,  and  won- 
der that  any  persons  should  ever  be  at  a  loss  to  discover 
the  way  of  obtaining  true  peace  of  conscience;  it  may 
be  useful  towards  satisfying  his  scruples,  to  remind  such 
a  character  of  a  fourth  mark  of  corruption,  which  much 
prevailed  in  the  times  previous  to  the  reformation.  This 
is,  the  predominance  of  the  Aristotelian  philosophy  in 
Europe  at  that  period;  a  philosophy,  which  knew  nothing 
of  original  sin  and  native  depravity,  which  allowed  no- 
thing to  be  criminal  but  certain  external  flagitious  actions, 
and  which  was  unacquainted  with  the  idea  of  any  righte- 
ousness of  grace,  imputed  to  a  sinner.  How  many  in 
this  age,  who  neither  know  nor  value  Aristotle,  do  yet 
altogether  follow  his  self-righteous  notions  of  religion! 
These  are  congenial  to  our  fallen  nature,  and  are  inca- 
pable, while  they  prevail  in  the  mind,  of  administering 
any  cure  to  papal  bondage,  except  that  which  is  worse 
than  the  disease  itself  They  tend  to  lead  men  into  the 
depths  of  atheistic  profaneness.  But  the  person,  whom 
God  raised  up  particularly  at  this  time  to  instruct  an 
ignorant  world,  was  most  remarkably  eminent  for  self- 
knowledge.  Only  characters  of  this  sort  are  qualified  to 
inform  mankind  in  subjects  of  the  last  importance  to- 
wards the  attainment  of  their  eternal  happiness.  Luther 
knew  himself;  and  he  knew  also  the  scriptural  grounds 
on  which  he  stood  in  his  controversies  with  the  ecclesi- 
astical rulers.  His  zeal  was  disinterested,  his  courage 
undaunted.     Accordingly,  when  he  had  once  erected 


Cenf.ie.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  215 

the  standard  of  truth,  he  continued  to  uphold  it  with  an 
unconqueral^le  intrepidity,  which  merits  the  gratitude  and 
esteem  of  all  succeeding  ages  * 


CHAPTER  II. 

The  Beginning  of  the  Controversy  concerning  Indulgences. 

Pope  Alexander  VI.  the  most  flagitious  of  men,, died 
in  the  year  1503.  After  the  short  interval  of  the  domi- 
nion of  Pius  III.  who  ruled  tlie  church  less  than  a  year, 
Julius  II.  was  elected  pontiff.  A  circumstance  attended 
this  election,  which  deserves  to  be  recorded!  as  a  memo- 
rable indication  of  those  times.  The  cardinals  agreed  upon 
oath  before  the  election,  and  obliged  the  new  pontiff  after 
his  election  to  take  the  same  oath,  that  a  general  council 
should  be  called  within  two  years,  to  reform  the  church. 
The  effect  of  this  measure,  which  so  strongly  implied  the 
consent  of  the  Christian  world  to  the  necessity  of  a  re- 
formation, was  the  council  of  Pisa.  5ut  nothing  good 
was  to  be  expected  from  Julius,  a  man,  in  the  language 
of  worldly  greatness,  renowned  for  military  ambition. 
By  his  intrigues  the  council  of  Pisa  was  dissolved,  and 
Julius  died  in  1513,  after  he  had  filled  the  Christian 
world  with  blood  and  confusion  by  his  violence  and  ra- 
pacity. 

Leo  X.,|  a  man  famous  for  the  encouragement  of  let- 

*  Milner.  f  Seckendorf,  vol.  i.  p.  3. 

i  Tliis  prelate,  the  son  of  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent,  was  ordained  at  the  age 
of  seven  years,  nnade  an  abbot  before  he  was  eight  years  old,  and  at  the  age  of 
thirteen  became  a  cardinal !  Such  was  the  influence  of  his  father  in  the  court 
of  Rome !  Lorenzo,  in  a  prudential  letter  to  his  son,  tells  him,  that  he  had 
heard  with  pleasure  of  his  attention  to  communion  and  confession;  and  that 
there  was  no  better  way  for  him  to  obtain  the  favour  of  heaven,  than  bv  ha- 


21tJ  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.  Q. 

ters  and  the  fine  arts,  and  deservedly  celebrated  among 
the  patrons  of  learned  men,  succeeded.  But  historical 
veracity  can  scarcely  admit  any  further  encomium  on  his 
character,  lie  was  a  Florentine  of  the  illustrious  house 
of  the  Medici,  and  inherited  the  elegant  taste  and  mu- 
nificent spirit  of  that  family.  He  was  elected  pope  in 
the  thirty-seventh  year  of  his  age.  Though  refined  and 
humanized  by  his  love  of  the  liberal  arts,  and  extremely 
abhorrent  from  the  savage  manners  of  Alexander  and  of 
Julius,  he  possessed  other  qualities,  no  less  inconsistent 
than  theirs  with  the  character  of  a  pastor  of  the  church 
of  Christ.  An  excessive  magnificence,  a  voluptuous  in- 
dolence, and  above  all,  a  total  want  of  religious  principle, 
rendered  him  perhaps  more  strikingly  void  of  every  sa- 
cerdotal qualification  than  any  pontiffs  before  him.  He 
has  been  accused  of  open  infidelity;  but  the  proofs  are 
said  to  be  only  negative;  certainly,  however,  he  at  no 
time  took  the  least  pains  to  discover  to  mankind,  that  he 
had  a  sincere  reverence  for  religion.  It  was  during  the 
pontificate  of  this  man,  that  Providence  gave  the  severest 
blow  to  the  authority  of  the  Roman  hierarchy,  which  it 
had  ever  received  since  the  days  of  Gregory  II. 

Both  before  his  exaltation  and  after  it,  he  opposed  with 
dexterity  and  success  the  laudable  attempts  after  a  re- 
formation, which  have  been  mentioned.  A  council  call- 
ed by  this  pope,  and  held  in  the  Lateran  palace,  was  di- 
rected under  his  auspices  against  the  determinations  of 
the  council  of  Pisa.  Afterwards,  in  the  year  1517,  the 
university  of  Paris,  renowned  at  that  time  through  Eu- 
rope for  learning  and  knowledge,  appealed  from  its  de- 

bituating  himself  to  the  performance  of  such  duties,  Roscoe'sLife  of  Lorenzo 
de  Medici. — Lorenzo  appears  to  have  known  the  art  of  rising  in  this  world, 
better  than  the  narrow  road  to  eternal  life. 


Cent.l6r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  217 

cisions  to  a  future  general  council.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  enter  into  the  detail  of  these  transactions.  They  are 
here  briefly  mentioned  in  a  general  way,  for  the  purpose 
of  showing  that  common  sense  and  the  voice  of  natural 
conscience  had  agreed  to  the  necessity  of  a  reformation, 
though  men  knew  not  the  principles  on  which  it  ought 
to  proceed  The  greatest  personages  of  the  times  had 
delivered  their  sentiments  to  the  same  effect.  The  ex- 
istence of  tiie  distemper  was  admitted.  The  true  re- 
medy was  unknown;  that  was  to  be  drawn  only  from  the 
word  of  God;  and  almost  all  parties  were  equally  igno- 
rant of  the  contents  of  the  sacred  volumes.  In  this  same 
year,  however,  the  spirit  of  Luther  was  raised  up,  to  in- 
struct the  ignorant,  to  rouse  tHfe  negligent,  and  to  oppose 
the  scandalous  practices  of  interested  and  ambitious 
ecclesiastical  rulers. 

No  reformer  had  ever  an  opportunity  more  favourable 
to  his  designs.  Such  was  the  temerity  of  the  existing 
hierarchy,  that  they  might  seem  even  to  have  purposely 
afforded  to  their  opponents  an  advantage  for  the  begin- 
ning of  a  contest,  or  rather  to  have  been  providentially 
infatuated.  Leo  X.  after  he  had  presided  almost  five 
years,  having  reduced  himself  to  straits  by  his  prodigal 
expenses  of  various  kinds,  and  being  desirous  to  com- 
plete the  erection  of  St.  Peter's  church,  begun  at  Rome 
by  his  predecessor  Julius  II.,  after  his  example  had  re- 
course to  the  sale  of  indulgences,  the  general  nature  of 
which  Maimbourg  describes  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  has  been  done  in  the  foregoing  chapter.*    These  he 

*  Seckend.  p.  8.  Let  the  reader  remember  that  this  incomparable  author, 
Seckendorf,  gives  us  all  along  the  very  words  of  his  antagonist,  whence  the 
papal  as  well  as  the  protestaiit  materials  are  continually  held  up  to  view. 

Even  Du  Pin  allows,  that  Leo  was  naturally  proud  and  lofty;  and  he  con- 
fesses, that  the  erection  of  St.  Peter's  church  was  the  occasion  of  tiiat  pope's 
having  recourse  to  the  sale  of  indulgences.    Book  ii.  chap.  L 

Vol.  n.  2E 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  2. 

published  throughout  the  Christian  world,  granting  freely 
to  all,  who  would  pay  money  for  the  building  of  St. 
Peter's  church,  the  license  of  eating  eggs  and  cheese  in 
the  time  of  Lent.     This  is  one  of  the  many  ridiculous 
circumstances  which  attended  Leo's  indulgences,  and  it 
is  gravely  related  by  the  papal  historians.     The  promul- 
gation of  these  indulgences  in  Germany,  was  committed 
to  a  prelate,  the  brother  of  the  elector  of  Brandenburg. 
His  name  was  Albert,  a  man  who  at  that  very  time  held 
two    archbishoprics,    namely,  those   of  Mentz   and   of 
Magdeburg,  and  who  himself  received  immense  profits 
from  the  sale.   Albert  delegated  the  office  to  John  Tetzel, 
a  Dominican  inquisitor,  well  qualified  for  an  employment 
of  this  kind.     He  was  a  l/bld  and  enterprising  monk,  of 
uncommon    impudence,    and  had  already  distinguished 
himself  in  a  similar  transaction.     He  had  proclaimed  in- 
dulgences in  support  of  the  war  against  the  Muscovites, 
and  by  that  means  had   much  enriched  the  Teutonic 
knights,  who  had  undertaken  that  war.     "  This  fronlless 
monk,"  says  a  celebrated  ecclesiastical  historian,*  "  exe- 
cuted this  iniquitous  commission  not  only  with  matchless 
insolence,  indecency,  and  fraud,  but  even  carried  his  im- 
piety so  far  as  to  derogate  from  the  all-sufficient  power 
and  influence  of  the  merits  of  Christ.     Myconius  assures 
us,  that  he  himself  heard  Telzel  declaim  with  incredible 
effrontery,  concerning  the  unlimited  power  of  the  pope 
and  the  efficacy  of  indulgences.     The  people  believed, 
that  the  moment  any  person  had  paid  the  money  for  the 
indulgence,  he  became  certain  of  his  salvation,  and  that 
the  souls,  for  whom  the  indulgences  were  bought,  were 
instantly  released  out  of  purgatory.     So  Maimbourg  al- 
lows; and  if  the  people  really  believed  the  current  doc- 

*  Moslieim. 


Cent.  16.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  219 

trine  of  the  times,  and  looked  on  the  preachers  of  indul- 
gences as  men  worthy  of  credit,  tliey  must  have  believed 
so.  We  have  formerly  seen  popes  themselves  to  hold 
this  confident  language.  John  Tetzel  boasted,  that  he 
had  saved  more  souls  from  hell  by  his  indulgences,  than 
St.  Peter  had  converted  to  Christianity  by  his  preaching. 
He  assured  the  purchasers  of  them,  that  their  crimes, 
however  enormous,  would  be  forgiven;  whence  it  be- 
came almost  needless  for  him  to  bid  them  dismiss  all 
fears  concerning  their  salvation.  For  remission  of  sins 
being  fully  obtained,  what  doubt  could  there  be  of  salva- 
tion? In  the  usual  form  of  absolution,  written  by  his 
own  hand,  he  said,  "May  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  have 
mercy  upon  thee,  and  absolve  thee  by  the  merits  of  his 
most  holy  passion!  And  I,  by  his  authority,  that  of  his 
apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  the  most  holy  pope  grant- 
ed and  committed  to  me  in  these  parts,  do  absolve  thee, 
first,  from  all  ecclesiastical  censures  in  whatever  manner 
they  have  been  incurred;  and  then  from  all  the  sins, 
transgressions,  and  excesses,  how  enormous  soever  they 
may  be,  even  from  such  as  are  reserved  for  the  cog- 
nizance of  the  holy  see:  and  as  far  as  the  keys  of  the 
holy  church  extend,  I  remit  to  thee  all  the  punishment 
which  thou  deservest  in  purgatory  on  their  account;  and 
I  restore  thee  to  the  holy  sacraments  of  the  church,  to 
the  unity  of  the  faithful,  and  to  that  innocence  and  purity 
which  thou  possessed  at  baptism,  so  that  when  thou  diest, 
the  gates  of  punishment  shall  be  shut,  and  the  gates  of 
the  paradise  of  delight  shall  be  opened;  and  if  thou  shalt 
not  die  at  present,  this  grace  shall  remain  in  full  force 
when  thou  art  at  the  point  of  death.  In  the  name  of  the 
Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."*— Such 

*  Seckend.  p.  14. 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  2. 

was  the  style  in  which  these  formulas  were  written.     It 
is  impertinent  to  blame  the  abuses  committed  by  the  offi- 
cials; it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that  these  formulas  were 
without  papal  authority;  neither  has  any  thing  of  that 
kind  ever  been  asserted.     In  regard  to  the  effect  of  in- 
dulgences in  delivering  persons  from  the  supposed  tor- 
ments of  purgatory,  the  gross  declarations  of  Tetzel  in 
public  are  well  known:  "  The  moment  the  money  tinkles 
in  the  chest,  your  father's  soul  mounts  up  out  of  purga- 
tory."   It  does  not  appear,  that  the  rulers  of  the  hierarchy 
ever  found  the  least  fault  with  Tetzel  as  exceeding  his 
commission,  till  an  opposition  was  openly  made  to  the 
practice  of  indulgences.     Whence  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Protestants  have  not  unjustly  censured  the  corruptions 
of  the  court  of  Rome  in  this  respect.     Leo  is  declared 
to  have  granted,  immediately  and  without  hesitation,*  the 
profits  of  the  indulgences  collected  in  Saxony  and  the 
neighbouring  countries  as  far  as  the  Baltic,  to  his  sister, 
the  wife  of  prince  Cibus,  by  way  of  gratitude  for  per- 
sonal favours  which  he  had  received  from  the  family  of 
the  Cibi.     The  indulgences  were  farmed  to  the  best 
bidders,  and  the  undertakers  employed  such  deputies  to 
carry  on  the  traffic,  as  they  thought  most  likely  to  pro- 
mote their  lucrative  views.     The  inferior  officers  con- 
cerned in  this  commerce  were  daily  seenf  in  public 
houses,  enjoying  themselves  in  riot  and  voluptuousness. 
In  fine,  whatever  the  greatest  enemy  of  popery  could 
have  wished,  was  at  that  time  exhibited  with  the  most 
undisguised  impudence  and  temerity,  as  if  on  purpose  to 
render  that  wicked  ecclesiastical  system  infamous  before 
all  mankind. 

It  may  not  be  improper  to  introduce  the  following 

•  >Lumbourg,  p.  11.  f  ^d-  P-  12. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  221 

auecclote  concerning  Tetzel,  the  audacious  vender  of  the 
papal  indulgences. 

When  the  emperor  Maximilian  was  at  Inspruck,  he 
was  so  offended  at  the  wickedness  and  impudence  of 
Tetzel,  who  had  been  convicted  of  adultery,  that  he  con- 
demned him  to  death,  and  had  intended  to  have  him 
seized  and  put  into  a  bag,  and  flung  into  the  river  (Eno- 
ponte;  but  he  was  prevented  by  the  solicitations  of  Fre- 
derick the  elector  of  Saxony;  who,  fortunately  for  Tetzel, 
happened  to  be  there  at  the  time.* 

Burnet  informs  us,  that  the  scandalous  sale  of  pardons 
and  indulgences  had  by  no  means  so  completely  ceased 
in  popish  countries  as  is  commonly  taken  for  granted. 
He  says,  that  in  Spain  and  Portugal  there  is  every  where 
a  commissary,  who  manages  the  sale  with  the  most  in- 
famous circumstances  imaginable.  In  Spain,  the  king, 
by  an  agreement  with  the  pope,  has  the  profits.  In  Por- 
tugal, the  king  and  the  pope  go  shares. 

"In  the  year  1709,  the  privateers  of  Bristol  took  a 
galleon,  in  which  they  found  five  hundred  bales  of  bulls" 

for  indulgences "  and  sixteen  reams  were  in  a  bale. 

So  that  they  reckon  the  whole  came  to  3,840,000. 
These  bulls  are  imposed  on  the  people,  and  sold,  the 
lowest  at  three  ryals,  a  little  more  than  twenty  pence, 

but  to  some  at  about  eleven  pounds  of  our  money. 

All  are  obliged  to  buy  them  in  Lent."  The  author  adds, 
"  Besides  the  account  given  of  this  in  the  cruising  voy- 
age, I  have  a  particular  attestation  of  it  by  Captain  Dam- 
pier."t 

Protestants  in  our  times  are  not  sufficiently  aware  of 
the  evils  from  which,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  a  great 
part  of  Europe  has  been  delivered,  by  the  rational,  ani- 

•  Adam.  Melch.  f  ^ol.  iii.  Introd.  p.  xx. 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

mated,  and  persevering  exertions  of  Luther,  his  associates, 
and  other  early  reformers. 

Indulgences  were  granted  also  under  the  pontificate  of 
Leo  X.  on  many  particular  occasions.  The  consecrated 
Host  had  been  lost  at  the  parish  church  at  Schiniedeberg 
in  the  diocese  of  Misnia:  in  consequence  of  which,  the 
pastor  had  excommunicated  the  deacon  and  the  porter 
of  the  church.  These  men,  whom  the  superstition  of 
the  times  had  made  culprits,  had,  however,  recourse  to 
the  generosity  of  Tetzel,  who  was  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  who  furnished  them  with  a  diploma  of  absolution.* 
The  prices  of  these  indulgences  were  accommodated  Vo 
the  various  circumstances  of  petitioners;  and  thus  a  plan 
was  formed  and  was  successfully  carrying  into  execution, 
which  would  infallibly  lay  all  orders  of  men  under  con- 
tribution. The  prodigious  sale  of  indulgences  evinces 
both  the  profound  ignorance  of  the  age,  and  also  the 
power  of  superstitious  fears,  with  which  the  consciences 
of  men  were  then  distressed.  This  however  was  the 
very  situation  of  things,  which  opened  the  way  for  the 
reception  of  the  gospel.  But  who  was  to  proclaim  the 
gospel  in  its  native  beauty  and  simplicity .-'  To  give  a 
satisfactory  answer  to  this  question  was  no  easy  matter. 
The  princes,  the  bishops,  and  the  learned  men  of  the 
times,  saw  all  this  scandalous  traffic  respecting  the  par- 
don of  sins;  but  none  was  found  who  possessed  the 
knowledge,  the  courage,  and  the  honesty,  necessary  to 
detect  the  fraud,  and  to  lay  open  to  mankind  the  true 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  the  remission  of  sins  through 
Jesus  Christ.  But  at  length  an  obscure  pastor  appear- 
ed, who  alone  and  without  help,  began  to  erect  the 
standard  of  sound  religion.    No  man  who  believes  that, 

*  Seckend.  p.  15. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  223 

*•  the  preparation  of  the  heart  is  from  the  Lord,"  will 
doubt  whether  Martin  Luther,  in  this  great  undertaking, 
was  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  This  extraordinary 
person,  at  that  time  an  Augustine  monk,  was  professor 
or  lecturer  of  the  university  of  Wittemberg  in  Saxony. 
That  academy  was  at  once  a  college  of  students  and  a 
society  of  monks.  Frederick  the  Wise,  elector  of 
Saxony,  ardently  desirous  of  promoting  Mterary  know- 
ledge, had  added  the  former  character  to  the  latter,  and 
always  showed  a  steady  regard  to  Luther,  on  account  of 
his  skill  and  industry  in  advancing  the  reputation  of  that 
infant  seminary  of  knowledge,  which  then  was  very  low 
and  abject  both  in  its  revenues  and  its  exterior  appear- 
ance. Luther  preached  also  from  time  to  time,  and 
heard  confessions.*  In  the  memorable  year  1517,  it 
happened,  that  certain  persons,  repeating  their  confes- 
sions before  him,  and  owning  themselves  to  be  atrocious 
offenders,  yet  refused  to  comply  with  the  penances  which 
he  enjoined  them,  because  they  said  they  were  possessed 
of  diplomas  of  indulgences.  Luther  was  struck  with  the 
evident  absurdity  of  such  conduct,  and  ventured  to  refuse 
them  absolution.  The  persons  thus  rejected,  complain- 
ed loudly  to  Tetzel,  who  was  preaching  in  a  tow^n  at  no 
great  distance.  The  Dominican  inquisitor  had  not  been 
accustomed  to  contradiction.  He  stormed  and  frowned, 
and  menaced  every  one  who  dared  to  oppose  him;  and 
sometimes  he  ordered  a  pile  of  wood  to  be  constructed 
and  set  on  fire,  for  the  purpose  of  striking  terror  into 
the  minds  of  heretics.  Luther  was  at  that  time  only 
thirty-four  years  old,  vigorous  both  in  mind  and  body, 
fresh  from  the  schools,  and  fervent  in  the  Scriptures. 
He  saw  crowds  flock  to  Wittemberg  and  the  neighbour- 

*  Seckend.  p.  17. 


224.  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap,  2. 

ing  towns  to  purchase  indulgences,  and  having  no  clear 
idea  of  the  nature  of  that  traffic,  yet  sensible  of  the  ob- 
vious evils  with  which  it  must  be  attended,  he  began  to 
signify,  in  a  gentle  manner,  from  the  pulpit,  that  the 
people  might  be  better  employed  than  in  running  from 
place  to  place  to  procure  indulgences.  So  cautiously 
did  this  great  man  begin  a  work,  the  consequence  of 
which  he  then  so  little  foresaw.  He  did  not  so  much  as 
know  at  that  time,  who  were  the  receivers  of  the  money. 
In  proof  of  this,  we  find  he  wrote  to  Albert,  archbishop 
of  Mentz,  who,  he  understood,  had  appointed  Tetzel  to 
this  employment,  but  with  whose  personal  concern  in 
the  gains  he  was  then  unacquainted,  intreating  him  to 
withdraw  the  license  of  Tetzel,  and  expressing  his  fears 
of  the  evils  which  would  attend  the  sale  of  indulgences. 
He  sent  him  likewise  certain  theses,  which  he  had  drawn 
up  in  the  form  of  queries,  concerning  this  subject.  He 
expressed  himself  with  the  greatest  caution  and  modesty. 
In  fact,  he  saw  enough  to  alarm  a  tender  conscience, 
but  he  knew  not  well  where  to  fix  the  blame.  He  was 
not,  as  yet,  fully  satisfied  in  his  own  mind,  either  as  to 
the  extent  of  the  growing  mischief,  or  the  precise  nature 
of  its  cause.  In  this  state  of  doubt  and  anxiety,  he  wrote 
also  to  other  bishops,  and  particularly  to  his  own  dio- 
cesan the  bishop  of  Brandenburg,*  with  whom  he  was  a 
particular  favourite. 

Nothing  can  be  more  orderly,  candid,  and  open,  than 
this  conduct  of  our  reformer.f     Zeal  and  charity  were 

*  Seckend.  p. 16. 

f  Du  Pin,  in  conjunction  with  all  the  Roman  Catholic  writers,  asserts  that 
Luther's  zeal  for  the  interest  of  his  own  order,  led  hira  to  oppose  the  doctrine 
of  indulgences.  The  best  refutation  of  this  calumny  is  to  be  derived  from  a 
fair  statement  of  facts.  It  has  been  said  hkewise,  that  Staupitius,  the  vicar- 
general  of  Luther's  order  of  monks,  and  that  the  elector  of  Saxony,  stimulated 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  225 

here  united  with  the  most  perfect  regard  to  ecclesiastical 
disciphne.  The  hishop  of  Brandenburg  reverenced  the 
integrity  of  Luther,  while  he  was  aware  of  the  dangerous 
ground  on  which  he  was  advancing.  "  You  will  oppose 
the  church/'  he  replied,  "you  cannot  think  in  what 
troubles  you  will  involve  yourself;  you  had  much  better 
be  still  and  quiet."  This  was  not  a  language  calculated 
to  repress  the  firm  and  intrepid  spirit  of  the  Saxon  monk; 
for,  though  by  no  means  as  yet  a  competent  master  of 
the  points  in  debate,  he  saw  they  were  of  too  great  mag- 
nitude for  a  conscientious  pastor  to  pass  them  by  un- 
noticed: he  knew  too  the  manners  of  lower  life,  and 
could  judge,  far  better  than  the  bishops  in  general  could 
do,  of  the  mischievous  consequences  whicli  were  to  be 
apprehended.  With  deliberate  steadiness  he  ventured 
therefore  to  persevere;  and  having  tried  in  vain  to  pro- 
cure the  concurrence  of  the  dignitaries  of  the  church, 
he  published  his  theses,  ninety-five  in  number;  and  in  fif- 
teen days  they  were  spread  throughout  Germany.  Their 
effect  on  the  minds  of  men  was  rapid  and  powerful, 
though  Tetzel,  by  threats,  had  silenced  some  pastors 
who  had  faintly  opposed  him,  and  though  bishops  and 
doctors,  through  fear  of  the  flames,  remained  perfectly 
silent, 

"  Thus,"  says  Luther,  for  much  of  the  foregoing  ac- 
count is  taken  from  his  own  words,  "  I  was  commended 
as  an  excellent  doctor,  who  alone  had  the  spirit  to  at- 
tempt so  great  an  undertaking;  but  the  fame  which  I  had 
acquired  was  by  no  means  agreeable  to  my  mind;  be- 
cause I  had  then  some  doubts  concerning  the  nature  of 

Luther  to  commence  his  opjjosition.     But  tliere  is  no  where  to  be  found  the 
smallest  proof  of  these  assertions.     The  love  of  truth  itself  appears  from  his 
whole  conduct  to  have  influenced  his  measures,  and  the  story  needs  only  to  be 
fairly  told,  in  order  to  convince  any  candid  person  that  this  was  the  case. 
VoT..  II.  2  F 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  2. 

indulgences,  and  because  I  feared  that  the  task  was  be- 
yond my  powers  and  capacity/'* 

But  the  real  motives  of  Luther  will  be  discovered  in 
the  surest  manner  by  a  brief  review  of  the  manners  and 
spirit  of  the  man,  previous  to  his  open  declarations  re- 
specting indulgences.  This  Saxon  reformer  was  born 
in  the  year  1483,  at  Isleben,  a  town  belonging  to  the 
county  of  Mansfield.  His  father  wrought  in  the  mines 
of  Mansfield,  which  were  at  that  time  very  famous;  and, 
after  the  birth  of  his  son  Martin  Luther,  removed  to  that 
town,  became  a  proprietor  in  the  mines,  discharged  pub- 
He  offices  there,  and  was  esteemed  by  all  men  for  his  in- 
tegrity. He  gave  a  very  liberal  education  to  Martin, 
who  was  remarkable  for  dutiful  affection  to  his  parents 
in  general,  though  in  one  instance,  to  be  mentioned  pre- 
sently, he  was  led  away  by  the  superstition  of  the  times, 
so  as  to  offend  his  father  exceedingly.  After  he  had 
made  great  proficiency  in  his  studies  at  Magdeburg, 
Eisenach,  and  Erfurt,  he  commenced  master  of  arts  in 
the  university  of  Erfurt,  at  the  age  of  twenty;  and  having 
now  finished  his  course  of  philosophy,  he  began  to  give 
close  attention  to  the  science  of  the  civil  law,  and  is  said 
to  have  intended  to  advance  himself  by  pleading  at  the 
bar;  but  he  was  diverted  from  his  purpose  by  an  acci- 
dent.f  As  he  was  walking  in  the  fields  with  one  of  his 
most  intimate  friends,  his  companion  was  suddenly  killed 
by  lightning;  and  Luther  himself  was  so  terrified,  partly 
by  this  event,  and  partly  by  the  horrid  noise  of  the  thun- 
der, that  while  his  mind  was  in  the  utmost  consternation, 
he  formed  the  sudden  resolution  of  withdrawing  from 

*  Seckend.  p.  16. 
f  Du  Pin. — Moreri. — Maimbourg. 

Some  authors  say,  that  Luther's  intimate  friend  was  found  murdered  about 
the  same  time  that  he  himself  was  so  terrified  by  the  thunder. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  P27 

the  world,  and  of  throwing  himself  into  the  monastery  at 
Erfurt.  His  father,  a  man  of  plain,  but  sound  under- 
standing, strongly  remonstrated.  The  son  as  strongly 
pleaded  what  he  considered  as  a  terrible  call  from  heaven, 
to  take  upon  himself  the  monastic  vow.  "  Take  care," 
replied  the  father,  "  that  you  are  not  ensnared  by  a  de- 
lusion of  the  devil."  But  the  mind  of  Martin  was  de- 
termined; and  filial  disobedience,  in  such  a  case,  was 
looked  on  as  a. virtue.  To  the  great  grief  and  mortifi- 
cation of  his  father,  he  entered  the  monastery  in  the 
year  1505. 

In  one  of  his  letters,  he  owns,  that  from  the  very  be- 
ginning of  his  monastic  life  he  was  constantly  sad  and 
dejected;*  and  being  unable  to  give  peace  to  his  mind, 
he  at  length  opened  his  griefs  to  John  Staupitius,  vicar- 
general  of  the  Augustine  monks  in  Germany,  a  man 
highly  esteemed  by  Frederick  the  Wise,  and  consulted 
by  him  particularly  in  things  which  concerned  the  uni- 
versity of  Wittemberg.  Staupitius  himself  appears  to 
have  had  some  serious  views  of  religion,  and  a  degree  of 
knowledge  at  that  time  very  uncommon.  After  Luther 
had  explained  to  him  the  uneasy  thoughts  with  which  he 
was  burdened,  "  You  do  not  know,"  said  he,  *'  bow  use- 
ful and  necessary  this  trial  may  be  to  you;  God  does  not 
thus  exercise  you  for  nothing:  you  will  one  day  see  that 
he  will  employ  you  as  his  servant  for  great  purposes." 
The  event  gave  ample  honour  to  the  sagacity  of  Staupi- 
tius, and  it  is  very  evident,  that  a  deep  and  solid  convic- 
tion of  sin,  leading  the  mind  to  the  search  of  Scripture 
truth,  and  the  investigation  of  the  way  of  peace,  was  the 
main  spring  of  Luther's  whole  after  conduct;  and  indeed 
this  view  of  our  reformer's  state  of  mind  furnishes  the 

*  Seckend,  p.  19, 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  i2. 

only  key  to  the  discovery  of  the  real  motives,  by  which 
he  was  influenced  in  his  public  transactions.  Rash  and 
prejudiced  writers,  of  the  popish  persuasion,  choose  to 
represent  him  as  having  been  under  the  dominion  of 
avarice  or  ambition;  but  till  they  can  produce  some 
proofs  beyond  their  own  suspicions  or  bare  affirmations, 
all  such  slanderous  accusations  must  fall  to  the  ground. 
In  truth,  no  man  was  ever  more  free  from  avarice  and 
ambition:  the  fear  of  God  predominated  to  a  very  high 
degree  in  Luther's  mind;  and  a  nice  sensibility  of  con- 
science, attended  with  an  uncommon  insight  into  the 
depth  of  our  natural  depravity,  allowed  him  no  rest.  As 
yet  he  understood  not  the  Scriptures;  nor  felt  that  peace 
of  God  which  passeth  understanding.  He  had  too  much 
light  to  sit  down  in  slothful  content  and  indifference,  and 
too  little  to  discern  the  rich  treasures  of  the  gospel,  and 
apply  its  healing  promises  to  deep  convictions  of  sin  and 
misery.  He  remained  for  above  a  year  not  only  in  con- 
stant anxiety  and  suspense,  but  in  perpetual  dread  and 
alarm.  All  these  things  are  abundantly  evident,  and  be- 
yond all  contradiction,  to  those  who  are  acquainted  with 
his  writings. 

In  the  second  year  after  Xuther  had  entered  into  the 
monastery,  he  accidentally  met  with  a  Latin  Bible  in  the 
library.  It  proved  to  him  a  treasure.  Then  he  first 
discovered,  that  there  were  more  Scripture  passages  ex- 
tant than  those  which  were  read  to  the  people:  for  the 
Scriptures  were  at  that  time  very  little  known  in  the 
world.  In  reading  the  word  of  God  with  prayer,  his  un- 
derstanding was  gradually  enlightened,  and  he  found 
some  beams  of  evangelical  comfort  to  dart  into  his  soul. 
The  same  year  he  was  refreshed  in  his  sickness  by  the 
discourse  of  an  old  monk,  who  showed  him  that  remis- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  229 

sion  of  sins  was  to  be  apprehended  by  faith  alone,  and 
referred  him  to  a  passage  in  Bernard's  sermon  on  the 
annunciation,  where  the  same  doctrine  was  taught.  With 
incredible  ardour  he  now  gave  himself  up  to  the  study  of 
the  Scriptures  and  the  books  of  Augustine.  He  was  at 
length  regarded  as  the  most  ingenious  and  learned  man 
of  his  order  in  Germany.  But  the  soul  of  Luther  was 
constantly  panting  for  something  very  different  from 
secular  glory. 

He  was  ordained  in  the  year  1507,  and  in  the  next 
year  w^as  called  to  the  professorship  of  Wittemberg  by 
Staupitius,  where  a  theatre  was  opened  for  the  display 
of  his  talents  both  as  a  teacher  of  philosophy  and  as  a 
popular  preacher.     He  excelled  in  both  capacities.     Elo- 
quent by  nature,  and  powerful  in  moving  the  affections, 
acquainted  also  in  a  very  uncommon  manner  with  the 
elegancies  and  energy  of  his  native  tongue,  he  became 
the  wonder  of  his  age.     These  things  were  allowed  very 
liberally  by  his  enemies;*  but  it  ought  to  be  observed, 
that  the  exercises  of  his  own  mind,  by  which,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  he  was  led  more  and  more 
into  Christian  truth,  would  naturally  add  a  strength  to 
his  oratory,  unattainable  by  those  who  speak  not  from 
the  heart.     Martin  Polichius,  a  doctor  of  law  and  medi- 
cine, exclaimed,  "  This  monk  will  confound  all  the  doc- 
tors, will  exhibit  new  doctrine,  and  reform  the  whole 
Roman  church;  for  he  is  intent  on  reading  the  writings 
of  the  prophets  and  apostles,  and  he  depends  on  the 
word  of  Jesus  Christ;  this,  neither  the  philosophers  nor 
the  sophists  can  subvert/'     He,  who  spake  thus,  was 
himself  looked  on  as  a  prodigy  of  wisdom;  and,  I  sup- 
pose, a  degree  of  discernment,  less  than  his,  might  have 

*  Page  18,  Maimbourg.    Page  22,  Varillas, 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  ^2. 

shown  an  attentive  observer,  that  the  didactic  plan  of 
Luther  was  that  of  an  original  thinker,  who  was  not 
likely  to  confine  himself  to  the  beaten  track,  but  to  pro- 
duce something  new  to  mankind.  Melancthon's  concise 
account  entirely  agrees  with  this  statement:  "  Polichius,^'* 
says  he,  "  often  declared,  that  there  was  a  strength  of 
intellect  in  this  man,  which  he  plainly  foresaw  would 
produce  a  revolution  in  the  popular  and  scholastic  reli- 
gion of  the  times/'  Nor  does  it  seem  at  all  improbable, 
that  if  Luther  had  followed  merely  the  dictates  of  his 
own  adventurous  genius,  he  might  have  been  the  inventor 
of  some  novel  theological  schemes  and  doctrines.  But 
all  tendency  to  fanciful  excursions  in  the  important  con- 
cerns of  religion,  was  effectually  restrained  and  chastised 
in  the  mind  of  our  reformer,  by  his  profound  reverence 
for  the  written  word:  moreover,  from  his  first  entrance 
into  the  monastery,  he  appears  to  have  been  taught  of 
God,  and  to  have  been  led  more  and  more  into  such  dis- 
coveries of  native  depravity,  as  to  render  a  man  low  in 
his  own  eyes,  and  dispose  him  to  receive  the  genuine 
gospel  of  Christ. 

In  the  year  1510,  he  was  sent  to  Rome  on  some  busi- 
ness, which  related  to  his  own  monastery;  and  this  he 
discharged  with  so  much  ability  and  success,  that  on  his 
return  he  was  compelled  by  the  vicar-general  to  assume 
the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity.  He  writes,  that  he  did 
this  with  great  reluctance,  and  entirely  from  obedience 
to  his  superiors.  It  is  easy  indeed  for  a  man  to  say  this; 
but,  from  the  mouth  of  Luther  it  is  with  me  decisive  of 
its  truth.  For  veracity  and  integrity  do  evidently  appear 
to  have  remarkably  entered  into  the  character  of  this 
reformer,  as  indeed  these  virtues  are  always  eminently 
to  be  found  in  those,  who  have  had  the  most  genuine  ex- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  231 

perience  of  Christianity.  The  expenses  attending  this 
high  degree  were  defrayed  by  the  elector  of  Saxony, 
who  ahvays  admired  Luther  and  was  perfectly  convinced 
of  the  profundity  of  his  learning  and  the  rectitude  of  his 
views  of  religion.  While  he  had  been  at  Rome,  he  had 
discovered  something  of  the  singularity  of  his  character, 
which  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Italian  priests. 
The  external  rights  of  religion,  which  to  them  were  mat- 
ter of  political  formality,  with  him  were  serious  exercises. 
While  they  hurried  over  their  exercises  of  the  mass,  he 
performed  his  with  a  solemnity  and  devotion  which  ex- 
cited their  ridicule,  and  they  bad  him  to  repeat  them 
with  more  rapidity.  A  thoughtful  mind  like  his,  could 
not  conceive  that  religious  employments  should  be  dis- 
charged with  levity,  and  he  returned  to  his  monastery 
more  fully  convinced  than  ever,  that  Rome  was  not  the 
scene,  in  which  a  serious  pastor  could  properly  learn  the 
rudiments  of  religion.  He  studied  and  taught  the  Scrip- 
tures with  increasing  ardour  and  alacrity,  and  after  he 
had  been  created  doctor,  in  the  year  1512,  he  expound- 
ed the  Psalms  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  his  audience.  He  studied  the  He- 
brew and  the  Greek  languages,  and  highly  valued  the 
philological  labours  of  the  famous  Erasmus  of  Rotter- 
dam, the  renowned  reviver  of  classical  literature;  and 
while  he  concurred  with  that  great  man  in  his  contempt 
of  monastic  trifles,  he  was  intensely  studious  to  learn 
better  and  more  scriptural  notions  of  God  and  his  attri- 
butes, than  those  which  Erasmus  so  ingeniously  satirized. 
To  build  was,  however,  found  much  more  arduous,  as  it 
is  certainly  a  far  more  important  work,  than  to  pull 
down;  and  from  the  time  that  Luther  was  created  a  doc- 
tor of  divinity,  he  conscientiously  devoted  his  time  and 


2S2  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/iflp.  g. 

talents  to  the  sacred  office.  Already  he  was  suspected 
of  heresy,  because  of  his  dislike  of  the  scholastic  doc- 
trines; and  he  was  induced,  both  from  the  natural  sound- 
ness of  his  understanding,  and  from  the  spiritual  exer- 
cises of  his  own  heart,  to  reject  the  Aristotelian  corrup- 
tions of  theology,  and  to  study  the  genuine  doctrines  of 
Scripture. 

In  1516,  he  thus  wrote  to  a  friend:*  "  I  desire  to  know 
what  your  soul  is  doing;  whether,  wearied  at  length  with 
its  own  righteousness,  it  learns  to  refresh  itself  and  to 
rest  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ.  The  temptation  of 
presumption  in  our  age  is  strong  in  many,  and  specially 
in  those  who  labour  to  be  just  and  good  with  all  their 
might,  and  at  the  same  time  are  ignorant  of  the  righte- 
ousness of  God,  which  in  Christ  is  conferred  upon  us 
with  a  rich  exuberance  of  gratuitous  liberality.  They 
seek  in  themselves  to  work  that  which  is  good,  in  order 
that  they  may  have  a  confidence  of  standing  before  God, 
adorned  with  virtues  and  merits,  which  is  an  impossible 
attempt.  You,  my  friend,  used  to  be  of  this  same  opi- 
nion, or  rather  this  same  mistake;  so  was  I;  but  now  I 
am  fighting  against  the  error,  but  have  not  yet  prevailed." 

This  interesting  and  instructive  letter  demonstrates 
what  was  the  religious  frame  of  our  monk  at  that  time. 
He  had  received  the  grace  of  Christ,  and  knew  the  true 
and  only  way  of  salvation;  though,  in  his  own  eyes  at 
least,  he  was  weak  in  the  faith.  He  both  felt  and  preach- 
ed the  fundamentals  of  the  gospel,  before  he  appeared  in 
the  field  against  popery;  and  if  he  had  not  been  abso- 
lutely persecuted  into  a  secession,  such  was  his  modesty 
and  love  of  peace  and  order,  and  so  little  had  he  then 
studied  the  particular  corruptions  of  the  hierarchy,  that 

*  Seckend.  p.  20. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  033 

he  would,  in  all  probability,  have  conliniied  to  his  death 
an  obedient  son  of  the  Roman  church.  Many  excellent 
men  had  done  so  before  him;  because,  through  inad- 
vertency, they  had  remained  unconscious  of  the  absurdi- 
ties of  the  predominant  religion.  The  methods  of  Pro- 
vidence were,  however,  admirable  in  conducting  Luther 
into  the  depths  of  a  controversy,  to  which  he  seems  to 
have  had  no  inclination.  Indulgences  were  preached, 
and  he  saw  the  evil  of  them  in  a  practical,  rather  than  a 
theoretical  light,  and  was  thence  drawn  undesignedly 
into  a  contest,  the  effects  of  which  were  salutary  to  so 
many  nations.  Those,  who  apprehend  that  when  he 
began  the  contest,  he  was  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  the 
gospel,  appear  not  to  have  known  the  order  and  method, 
by  which  the  mind  of  the  Saxon  reformer  was  conducted 
into  religious  truth. 

In  the  same  year  he  was  appointed,  by  Staupitius,  su- 
baltern vicar:  by  which  office  he  was  authorized  to  visit 
about  forty  monasteries  in  Misnia  and  Thuringia.  Re- 
turning to  Wittemberg  in  June,  he  wrote  to  Spalatinus, 
who  was  the  secretary  of  the  elector,  and  always  showed 
himself  a  steady  friend  of  Luther,  in  terms  which  ex- 
pressed the  frank  effusions  of  his  own  heart,  on  a  review 
of  the  state  of  religion  in  the  country,  which  the  visita- 
tion had  given  him  an  opportunity  of  accurately  observing. 
"  Many  things  please  your  prince,  and  look  great  in  his 
eyes,  which  are  displeasing  to  God.  In  secular  wisdom, 
I  confess  that  he  is  of  all  men  most  knowing;  but,  in 
things  pertaining  to  God,  and  which  relate  to  the  salva- 
tion of  souls,  I  must  own  that  he  is  blind  sevenfold."' 
This  was  the  true  character  of  Frederick,  at  that  time, 
though  justly  esteemed  the  wisest  prince  of  the  age;  and 
though  he  was  sincerely  and  ingenuously  desirous  of 

Vol.  II.  es  G 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  Q. 

promoting  religion  and  virtue.  In  fact,  his  good  under- 
standing was  oppressed  with  a  heavy  load  of  the  most 
pitiable  superstitions.  He  was,  however,  by  no  means 
displeased  with  Luther  for  using  freedom  of  speech,  and 
there  is  reason  to  beheve  that,  afterwards,  he  learnt 
more  of  the  true  nature  of  the  gospel,  though  by  very 
slow  degrees. 

In  tlie  October  of  the  same  year,  Luther  communi- 
cated to  his  learned  friend  Spalatinus,  his  thoughts  con- 
cerning certain  of  the  fathers,  and  also  concerning  Eras- 
mus's method  of  interpreting  the  Scripture.*  This  me- 
morable epistle  deserves  the  particular  attention  of  the 
reader,  as  it  furnishes  judicious  and  connected  observa- 
tions on  Augustine  and  his  contemporaries,  and  on  the 
fathers  both  who  preceded  and  who  followed  them;  and 
as  it  likewise  suggests  very  useful  reflections  on  the  com- 
parative merits  of  theologians  in  different  periods,  from 
the  days  of  Cyprian  to  those  of  Luther  and  Erasmus. 

Luther,  to  Georg.  Spalatinus: — "That,  which  strikes 
my  mind  in  considering  Erasmus,  is  this;  in  interpreting 
the  apostle's  account  of  the  righteousness  of  works,  or, 
of  the  law,  he  understands  by  these  terms  ceremonial  ob- 
servances only.  In  the  next  place,  though  he  admits 
the  doctrine  of  original  sin,  he  will  not  allow,  that  the 
apostle  speaks  of  it  in  the  fifth  chapter  to  the  Romans. 
Now,  if  he  had  carefully  read  Augustine's  Anti-Pelagian 
tracts,  especially  his  account  of  the  spirit  and  the  letter, 
of  the  guilt  of  sin  and  the  remission  of  it;  and  had  ob- 
served how  he  speaks  in  perfect  unison  with  the  best  of 
the  fathers,  from  Cyprian  to  Ambrose,  he  might  have 
better  understood  the  apostle  Paul,  and  also  have  con- 
ceived more  highly  of  Augustine  as  an  expositor,  than 

*  Lib.  I.  ep.  20.     See  also  Appendix,  Spalatinus. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  235 

he  has  hitherto  done.  In  dissenting  from  Erasmus's 
judgment  in  this  point,  I  must  frankly  declare,  that  I  as 
much  prefer  Augustine's  expositions  to  tliose  of  Jerome, 
as  he  prefers  those  of  Jerome  to  Augustine's.  I  am,  it 
is  true,  an  Augustine  monk;  but  that  circumstance  has 
no  influence  on  my  judgment;  for  till  I  had  read  this 
father's  works,  I  had  not  the  least  prejudice  in  his  favour. 
But  I  see  that  Jerome  studiously  endeavours  to  draw 
every  thing  to  a  merely  historical  meaning;*  and,  what 
is  very  extraordinary,  where  he  expounds  the  Scriptures 
as  it  were  occasionally  or  accidentally,  as  in  his  epistles 
for  instance,  he  does  it  in  a  much  sounder  manner  than 
when  he  interprets  professedly  and  on  purpose.  The 
righteousness  of  the  law  is  by  no  means  confined  to  cere- 
monies; for  though  it  includes  these,  it  still  more  direct- 
ly respects  an  obedience  to  the  whole  decalogue,  which 
obedience,  when  it  takes  place  to  a  certain  degree  and 
yet  has  not  Christ  for  its  foundation,  though  it  may  pro- 
duce such  men  as  your  Fabricius's,  and  your  Regulus's, 
that  is,  very  upright  moralists  according  to  man's  judg- 
ment, has  nothing  in  it  of  the  nature -of  genuine  righte- 
ousness. For  men  are  not  made  truly  righteous,  as 
Aristotle  supposes,  by  performing  certain  actions  which 
are  externally  good, — for  they  may  still  be  counterfeit 
characters; — but,  men  must  have  righteous  principles  in 
the  first  place,  and  then  they  will  not  fail  to  perform 
righteous  actions.  God  first  respects  Abel,  and  then  his 
offering.!  I  beg  you  would  put  Erasmus  in  mind  of 
these  things.  In  so  doing,  you  will  discharge  the  duties 
both  of  a  friend  and  of  a  Christian.     As  on  the  one 

*  A  merely  historical  meaning.    A  mere  narration  of  facts,  as  opposed  to  a 
spiritual  meaning-,  and  a  practical  application  to  every  man's  conscience. 
t  Gen.  iv. 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  2. 

hand,  I  hope  and  wish  that  he  maybe  celebrated  through 
the  whole  Christian  world,  so  on  the  other  I  fear  many 
may  be  induced,  by  the  authority  of  his  name,  to  patro- 
nise that  hteral  and  Hfeless  mode  of  interpreting  Scrip- 
ture, into  which  ahnost  all  commentators  have  fallen 
since  the  time  of  Augustine.  I  may  be  thought  pre- 
sumptuous and  perhaps  severe,  in  thus  criticising  many 
great  men:  my  apology  is,  that  I  feel  a  concern  for  the 
cause  of  true  theology,  and  for  the  salvation  of  the 
brethren/' 

A  little  before  the  controversy  concerning  indulgences, 
George,  duke  of  Saxony,  intreated  Staupitius  to  send 
him  some  learned  and  worthy  preacher.  The  vicar- 
general,  in  compliance  with  his  request,  despatched 
Luther  with  strong  recommendations  to  Dresden.  George 
gave  him  an  order  to  preach:  the  sum  of  Luther's  ser- 
mon was  this;*  That  no  man  ought  to  despair  of  the 
possibility  of  salvation;  that  those,  who  heard  the  word 
of  God  with  attentive  minds,  were  true  disciples  of 
Christ,  and  were  elected,  and  predestinated  to  eternal 
life.  He  enlarged  on  the  subject,  and  showed  that  the 
whole  doctrine  of  predestination,  if  the  foundation  be 
laid  in  Christ,  was  of  singular  efficacy  to  dispel  that  fear, 
by  which  men,  trembling  under  the  sense  of  their  own 
unworthiness,  are  tempted  to  fly  from  God,  who  ought 
to  be  our  sovereign  refuge.  An  honourable  matron, 
who  attended  the  palace,  and  who  had  heard  Luther, 
was  asked  by  George  the  duke,  at  dinner,  how  she  liked 
the  discourse.  I  should  die  in  peace,  said  she,  if  I  could 
hear  such  another  sermon.  The  duke,  in  much  anger, 
replied,  "  I  would  give  a  large  sum  of  money,  that  a  ser- 
mon of  this  sort,  which  encourages  men  in  a  hcentious 

*  Seek.  p.  23- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  237 

course  of  life,  had  never  been  preached."  And  he  re- 
peated this  several  times.  Within  the  space  of  a  month, 
the  lady  was  confined  in  bed  by  sickness,  and  soon  after 
died,  rejoicing  in  her  prospects  of  future  glory.  Fabri- 
chis  concludes  the  account  with  saying,*  "  From  that 
time  Luther  came  no  more  to  Dresden."  That  capital 
of  modern  Saxony  was  then  part  of  the  dukedom  of 
George,  who  proved  one  of  the  most  virulent  enemies  of 
Lutheranism.  He  was  the  uncle  of  prince  Frederick 
the  Wise.  Like  pharisaic  formalists  in  all  ages,  he  per- 
versely misconstrued  the  doctrine  of  free  salvation  by 
Jesus  Christ,  which  Luther  preached,  and  which  is  in- 
tended to  enable  humble  and  repenting  souls  to  serve 
God  with  lively  faith  and  cheerful  hope.  The  duke  of 
Saxony,  I  observe,  perversely  misconstrued  this  doctrine, 
as  though  it  had  a  tendency  to  persuade  men  to  live  in 
sin;  but  the  good  matron  above  mentioned,  who  resided 
at  his  court,  appears  to  have  tasted  of  that  bitterness  of 
true  conviction  of  sin,  which  only  can  render  the  doc- 
trine of  grace  delightful  and  salutary  to  the  mind. 

How  precious  this  doctrine  must  have  been  to  the 
mind  of  Luther  himself,  may  be  conceived  from  a  well 
authenticated  circumstance,!  wdiich  evinces  the  state  of 
mental  bondage  in  which  he  had  been  held.  Having  for 
many  days  neglected,  through  the  intenseness  of  his 
studies,  to  recite  the  canonical  hours,  he,  in  compliance 
with  the  pope's  decrees,  and  to  satisfy  his  conscience, 
actually  shut  himself  up  in  his  closet,  and  recited  what 
he  had  omitted,  with  punctilious  exactness,  and  with 
such  severe  attention  and  abstinence,  as  reduced  his 
strength  exceedingly,  brought  on  nearly  a  total  want  of 
sleep  for  the  space  of  five  weeks,  and  almost  produced 

*  Orig.  Sax.  Lib.  vii.  f  Vol.  i.  p.  344.    Bavar.    Seek.  p.  21. 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE  iCIiap.  3. 

symptoms  of  a  weakened  intellect.  Is  it  to  be  wondered 
at,  that  he,  who  at  length  found  relief  and  liberty  by  the 
grace  of  Christ,  should  be  zealous  to  preach  the  mystery 
of  the  cross  to  his  fellow  creatures? 


CHAPTER  III. 

J'he  Progress  of  the  Controrersy  concerning  Indulgences,  till  the 
Conclusion  oj  the  Conferences  between  Luther  and  Cajetan. 

Tetzel,  the  Dominican,  alarmed  at  the  publication  of 
Luther's  theses,  opposed  to  them  one  hundred  and  six 
propositions,  in  which  he  attempted  to  refute  the  argu- 
ments of  the  Augustine  monk;  and  not  content  with  this, 
by  virtue  of  his  inquisitorial  authority,  he  also  directed 
Luther's  compositions  to  be  burnt.  It  appears  from  very 
authentic  documents,*  that  this  shameless  monk  was  an 
experienced  veteran  in  the  traffic  of  indulgences.  He 
himself,  in  the  year  1507,  that  is,  ten  years  before  the 
present  dispute  with  Luther,  had  collected  at  Friberg 
two  thousand  florins  in  the  space  of  two  days  by  the 
iniquitous  sale  of  that  article.  The  sale  of  indulgences, 
therefore,  was  no  new  thing  in  the  papal  system;  and 
the  instance  before  us  proves,  that  occasionally  at  least, 
the  scandalous  practice  might  be  carried  to  a  very  great 
extent.  It  is,  however,  a  relief  to  the  indignant  mind, 
to  find  that  ecclesiastical  history  furnishes  some  few  ex- 
amples of  pious  Christians  with  enlightened  understand- 
ing, who  had  bravely  withstood  the  growing  corruption. 
To  mention  one:  John,  bishop  of  Misnia,  had  effectually 
discharged  from  his  own  diocese  the  popish  proclaimers 

*  Moller.  Cron.  Fribergen, 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  239 

of  indulgences,  who  like  merchants,  had  been  vending 
every  where  their  certificates  of  pardon  of  sins,  as  if  they 
were  an  ordinary  commodity.*  He  had  blamed  the  peo- 
ple for  foolishly  putting  their  money  into  a  chest,  of 
which  they  had  not  the  key;  and  had  declared  that,  by 
reading  the  Bible,  he  had  discovered  the  apostolical  re- 
ligion to  be  very  different  from  that  which  prevailed  at 
present.  This  good  prelate,  a  little  before  his  death, 
happening  to  hear  that  Tetzel  was  again  employed  in  a 
similar  way,  prophesied  he  would  be  the  last  of  the  deal- 
ers in  indulgences,  on  account  of  his  shameless  audacity.f 
Notwithstanding  this,  and  every  other  warning  or  re- 
monstrance, the  Dominican  commissioner  persevered  in 
the  traffic  with  augmented  industry;  and  so  much  in- 
censed the  minds  of  Luther's  disciples  at  Wittemberg, 
that  they  ventured,  by  way  of  retaliation,  to  burn  pub- 
licly his  propositions,  or  theses,!  as  they  were  called, 

*  Chytr.  Lib.  II. 

f  "  A  soul,"  said  Tetzel  in  his  theses,  "  may  go  to  heaven,  in  the  very  mo- 
raents,  in  which  the  money  is  cast  into  the  chest.  The  man,  who  buys  off  his 
own  sins  by  indulgences,  merits  more  than  he  who  gives  alms  to  the  poor,  un- 
less it  be  in  extreme  necessity."  Other  extraordinary  assertions  are  likewise 
contained  in  his  tracts,  which  demonstrate  that  Protestant  writers  have  not 
misrepresented  the  controversy  before  us.  Suffice  it  to  mention  two  sen- 
tences more.  "The  ministers  of  the  church  do  not  barely  declare  men's  sins 
forgiven,  but  do  really  pardon  them  by  vii-tue  of  the  sacraments,  and  by  the 

power  of  the  keys. They  may  impose  a  punishment  to  be  suffered  aftei'- 

death;  and  it  is  better  to  send  a  penitent  with  a  small  penance  into  purgatory, 
than  by  refusing  him  absolution  to  send  him  into  hell."  Du  Pin,  B.  11. 
Seek.  Lib,  I. 

t  When  Tetzel  was  at  Leipsic,  and  had  scraped  together  a  great  deal  of 
money  from  all  ranks  of  people,  a  nobleman,  who  suspected  the  imposture, 
put  this  question  to  him,  "  Can  you  grant  absolution  for  a  sin,  which  a  man 
shall  intend  to  commit  in  future  ?"  "  Yes,"  replied  the  frontless  commissioner, 
"  but  on  condition  that  the  proper  sum  of  money  be  actually  paid  down." 
The  nobleman  instantly  produced  the  sum  demanded  ;  and  in  return,  received 
a  diploma  sealed  and  signed  by  Tetzel,  absolving  him  from  the  unexplained 
crime,  which  he  secretly  intended  to  commit.  Not  long  after,  when  Tetzel 
was  about  to  leave  Leipsic,  the  nobleman  made  inquiry  respecting  the  road  he 


240  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

with  every  mark  of  disapprobation  and  ignominy.  Lu- 
ther was  much  grieved  at  this  rash  action;  and  finding 
himself  to  be  accused  of  instigating  his  followers  to  com- 
mit it,  writes  thus  to  a  friend.  "  I  wonder,  you  could 
believe,  that  I  was  the  author  of  the  deed.  Think  you 
that  I  am  so  destitute  of  common  sense,  as  to  stigmatize, 
in  such  a  manner,  a  person  in  so  high  an  office.'^  I 
know  better  the  rules  of  ecclesiastical  subordination,  and 
have  more  regard  to  my  own  character,  both  as  a  monk 
and  as  a  theologian,  than  to  act  so."  There  were  also 
persons,  who,  pretending  to  be  in  possession  of  court  in- 
trigues, were  fond  of  circulating  the  report,  that  Luther 
had  published  his  theses  by  the  secret  instigations  of  the 
elector  Frederick.  Luther,  with  great  concern,  takes 
notice  of  this  false  surmise.  In  a  letter  to  his  friend 
Spalatinus,  he  thus  expresses  his  feehngs:  "  I  am  hearti- 
ly vexed  at  the  scandalous  report,  which  is  diffused  with 
much  malignity,  namely,  that  in  all  I  do,  I  am  only  the 
engine  of  our  illustrious  prince,  for  the  purpose  of  dis- 
gracing the  archbishop  of  Mentz.  What  do  you  think 
I  ought  to  do  on  the  occasion.^  Shall  I  open  the  matter 
to  the  elector.^  I  am  extremely  concerned,  that  the 
prince  should  be  suspected  on  my  account,  and  I  cannot 
bear  the  thought  of  being  the  origin  of  contention  among 
persons  of  so  great  dignity." 

Luther  also  published  a  sermon,  preached  against  in- 
dulgences, which  Tetzel  answered;  and  this  produced  a 

would  probably  travel,  waited  for  him  in  ambush  at  a  convenient  place,  attack 
ed  and  robbed  him;  then  beat  him  soundly  with  a  stick,  sent  him  back  again 
to  Leipsic  with  his  chest  empty,  and  at  parting  said,  "  This  is  the  fault  I  in- 
tended to  commit,  and  for  which  I  have  your  absolution." — This  humorous 
story  may  seem  scarcely  worthy  of  the  dignity  of  history;  but  it  is  recorded 
by  the  cautious  Seckendorf,  and  may  serve  to  show  the  almost  incredible 
lengths  to  which  the  popish  agents  proceeded  in  the  detestable  traffip  so 
clearly  laid  opeti  by  this  anecdote. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  24>l 

reply  from  Luther.  About  the  same  time,  Henry,  duke 
of  Brunswick,  vviio  was  afterwards  distinguished  among 
the  most  active  enemies  of  Lutheranisni,  appeared  in  the 
contest;  and  in  a  public  writing  accused  Frederick  of 
secretly  suppoiling  Luther.  The  well  known  character 
of  the  elector,  for  caution  and  prudence,  seems  however 
to  have  prevented  the  report  from  gaining  much  credit. 
This  prince  took  extraordinary  care  not  to  involve  him- 
self unnecessarily  in  the  concerns  of  Luther.  Our  in- 
trepid reformer,  in  all  his  opposition  to  Tetzel,  most  cer- 
tainly had  no  colleague  or  assistant;  and  he  himself  de- 
clared, that  he  never  had  conversed  with  the  elector 
Frederick  in  his  whole  life. 

Luther  never  did  things  by  halves.  Accordingly,  as 
the  affair  of  selling  indulgences  had  laid  firm  hold  of  his 
mind,  he  could  neither  quiet  his  uneasiness,  nor  smother 
his  indignation.  He  still  continued  to  preach  and  to 
write  on  the  same  subject,  till  the  end  of  the  year  1517. 
In  the  next  year  he  w^ent  to  Heidelberg,  and  was  courte- 
ously received  by  Wolfgang,  the  brother  of  the  elector 
Palatine,  who  was  the  scholar  of  Ecolaiiipadius,  a  name, 
afterwards  renowned  among  the  reformers.  Luther  had 
been  advised  by  his  friends  not  to  go  to  Heidelberg,  on 
account  of  the  danger  to  which  he  might  be  exposed. 
But,  as  a  general  assembly  of  the  Augustinian  monks 
had  been  called  at  that  place,  he  thought  it  right  to  obey 
his  superiors,  whatever  might  be  the  event.  The  official 
business  of  the  assembly  was  of  no  great  moment;  and 
therefore  we  need  not  be  surprised  that  the  zealous  and 
active  spirit  of  Luther  was  not  content  with  barely  dis- 
charging the  duties  of  his  order.  A  providential  oppor- 
tunity was  offered  of  propagating  divine  truth,  and  it  be- 
hoved him  not  to  neglect  it.     While,  therefore,  he  re- 

VoL.  II.  2  H 


24^  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/iap.  5. 

mained  at  this  place,  be  wrote  some  propositions,  in 
which  he  opposed  the  prevaiHng  notions*  concerning 
justification,  faith,  and  works.  His  capital  object  in 
them  was  to  demonstrate  the  doctrine  of  justification,  be- 
fore God,  by  faith,  and  not  by  our  works  and  deservings. 
The  theses  or  positions,  which  he  intended  to  defend, 
were  publicly  exposed  to  view  in  writing,  according  to 
custom:  and  he  called  upon  Leonard  Bejar,  a  monk  of 
the  Augustinian  order,  to  be  his  respondent.  The  pro- 
fessors of  the  university  disapproved  of  the  controversy: 
and  therefore  it  was  held  in  the  Augustinian  monastery. 
A  large  concourse  of  people  attended,  and  a  nun)ber  of 
the  learned  bore  a  part  in  the  disputation.  Among  the 
hearers  were  Martin  Bucer,  and  John  Brentius,  men, 
afterwards  eminent  in  the  work  of  reformation.  These 
and  other  persons,  who  in  process  of  time  became  cele- 
brated theologians,  admired  the  acuteness,  promptitude, 
and  meekness  of  Luther,  were  struck  with  the  truths  of 
the  gospel,  which  were  new  to  their  ears,  and  desired 
further  instruction  of  him  in  private.  This  was  the  seed- 
time of  the  gospel  in  the  Palatinate;  and  these  were  the 
beginnings  of  the  reformation  in  that  electorate.  Lu- 
tiler's  disciples  cultivated  and  taught  the  same  doctrines 
in  private,  and  after  a  time  ventured  to  teach  them  pub- 
licly in  the  university. 

While  the  cause  of  evangelical  truth  was  thus  making 
gradual  advances  in  Germany,  two  celebrated  Romanists, 
Eckius  of  Ingolstadt,  and  Prierias  a  Dominican,  master 
of  the  sacred  palace  at  Rome,  took  up  their  pens  against 
the  theses  of  Luther,  who,  by  these  means  was  led  into 
a  fresh  literary  contest.  Luther  published  elaborate 
answers  on  all  the  disputed  points;  and  managed  this 

*  Seckend.  29,  from  a  MS.  Hist,  of  the  Palatine  Churches  by  Altingius. 


Cent.  16.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  24S 

part  of  the  controversy  with  so  much  moderation  and 
gentleness,  that  his  inimical  historian  Maimbourg,  has 
no  way  left  of  reviling  the  man  he  dislikes,  but  by  say- 
ing, "  On  this  occasion  he  acted  contrary  to  his  natural 
disposition."  Let  the  reader  infer  the  real  disposition  of 
Luther  from  authenticated  facts,  and  not  from  the  in- 
sinuations of  prejudiced  papists.  At  this  time,  he  wrote 
also  to  his  own  diocesan,  and  to  his  vicar-general.  To 
his  diocesan,  the  bishop  of  Brandenburg,  he  declared, 
that  he  did  not  determine,  but  dispute,  using  the  liberty 
allowed  to  scholastic  men  in  all  ages.  "  I  fear  not/'  says 
he,  "  bulls  and  menaces;  it  is  the  audaciousness  and  the 
ignorance  of  men,  that  induce  me  to  stand  forth,  though 
with  much  reluctance:  were  there  not  a  weighty  cause 
for  it,  no  one,  out  of  my  own  little  sphere,  should  ever 
hear  of  me.  If  the  cause  I  defend,  be  not  the  work  of 
God,  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  it;  let  it  perish. 
Let  him  alone  have  glory,  to  whom  alone  glory  belongs." 
He  endeavoured  to  rouse  the  spirit  of  his  vicar-general, 
thus:  "When  I  first  heard  you  say,  'that  true  repent- 
ance begins  with  the  love  of  righteousness  and  of  God,' 
the  words  made  a  deep  and  durable  impression  on  my 
heart,  as  if  they  had  come  by  a  voice  directly  from 
heaven."  Hence,  he  said,  he  was  filled  with  grief  to 
see  the  true  doctrine  of  repentance,  superseded  by  in- 
dulgences. He  expressed  his  great  unwillingness  to  be 
drawn  into  the  contest;  but,  being  defamed  as  an  enemy 
of  the  pope,  he  felt  himself  constrained  to  defend  his 
own  character.  He,  therefore,  begged  Staupitius  to 
transmit  his  trifling  writings,  as  he  calls  them,  to  pope 
Leo  X.  that  they  might  speak  for  him  at  Rome.  "  Not," 
says  he,  "  that  I  would  involve  you  in  my  dangers.  I 
desire  alone  to  stand  the  shock  of  the  contest.     Let 


2U  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

Christ  see  to  if,  whether  the  cause  be  mine  or  his.  To 
the  kind  admonitions  of  my  friends,  who  would  warn  me 
of  danger,  my  answer  is,  The  poor  man  has  no  fears. 
I  protest,  that  property,  reputation,  and  honours,  shall  all 
be  of  no  estimation  with  me,  compared  with  the  defence 
of  truth.  I  have  only  a  frail  body  to  lose,  and  that 
weighed  down  with  constant  fatigue.  If,  in  obedience 
to  God,  I  lose  it  through  violence  or  fraud,  what  is  the 
loss  of  a  few  hours  of  life.^  Sufficient  for  me  is  the 
lovely  Redeemer  and  Advocate,  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
to  whose  praise  I  will  sing  as  long  as  I  Vi\e." 

Luther  was  far  advanced  in  evangelical  knowledge, 
and  appears  to  have  been  an  experienced  Christian 
some  time  before  he  became  known  to  the  world.  Yet 
was  he  still  strongly  wedded  to  the  habits  of  superstition; 
and  he  slowly  admitted  the  conviction  of  the  antichris- 
tian  character  of  the  hierarchy.  He  dreaded  the  sin  of 
schism:  and  the  impetuous  fire  of  his  temper  was  per- 
petually checked  by  the  admonitions  of  conscience,  and 
by  the  fear  of  offending  his  Maker.  In  this  singular 
character,  there  was  certainly  united  an  assemblage  of 
qualities,  rarely  found  together  in  the  same  person;  in 
particular,  the  greatest  caution  in  conduct  with  a  temper 
remarkably  ardent  and  choleric.  Too  often  this  last  be- 
trayed him  into  a  blameable  asperity  of  language,  yet 
seldom  does  it  seem  to  have  influenced  his  measures  or 
plans  of  action.  The  poet's  simple,  but  sublime  descrip- 
tion of  one  of  his  heroes,  "  he  feared  God,  and  he  feared 
none  besides,"  is  eminently  true  of  the  Saxon  theologian. 

While  the  literary  contest  was  carrying  on  between 
Luther  and  his  antagonists,  there  were  at  Rome  those, 
who  blamed  the  pope  for  not  interesting  himself  in  a 
controversy,  which,  by  exciting  a  spirit  of  resistance,  and 


Cent.  16.1  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  245 

producing  divisions,  daily  increased  in  magnitude  and 
importance,  and  which,  in  its  termination,  might  prove 
extremely  injurious  to  the  authority  of  the  Romish 
church.  With  how  much  indifference  and  contempt 
Leo  X.  at  first  beheld  the  ecclesiastical  disputes  in  Ger- 
many, how  indolent  was  the  disposition  of  this  pontiff, 
and  how  improvident  he  showed  himself  in.  defending 
the  papal  jurisdiction,  all  this  appears  in  the  strongest 
light  from  the  absurd  and  careless  answer  which  he  is 
said  to  have  given  to  Silvester  Prierias,*  when  that  zeal- 
ous and  learned  Dominican  show^ed  him  some  of  Luther's 
heretical  publications  concerning  indulgences.  '-Brother 
Martin,''  said  he,  "  is  a  man  of  a  very  fine  genius,  and 
these  squabbles  are  the  mere  effusions  of  monastic  envy." 
Prierias,  however,  undertook  the  support  of  tlie  pontifi- 
cal authority;  but,  in  writing  against  the  reformer,  he 
managed  the  Romish  cause  with  so  much  heat  and  im- 
prudence, that  the  pope  himself  presently  directed  him 
to  be  silent  in  future.f  This  writer,  in  the  event, 
did  much  service  to  Lutheranism.  In  an  affair,  which 
required  the  utmost  delicacy,  he  expressed  his  sentiments 
without  the  least  caution  or  moderation;  and  exalted  the 
pope's  power  even  far  beyond  that  of  all  general  coun- 
cils. Luther  availed  himself  of  the  temerity  of  his  ad- 
versary, and  publicly  exposed,  with  much  severity,  the 
odious  doctrines  which  he  had  inculcated. 

In  the  same  year  1518,  a  rash  author  of  a  similar  de- 
scription, attacked  Luther  with  all  the  virulence  of  an 
enraged  and  bigoted  Roman  Catholic.  This  was  Ho- 
gostratus,  a  German  Dominican  inquisitor,   who  repre- 

*  Prierias  was  master  of  the  sacred  palace,  and  g'cneral  of  liis  order.    He 
died  of  the  plague  in  1;)23. 
f  Erasm.  Epis. 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

sented  the  growing  heresy  as  now  become  incurable  by 
any  of  the  milder  methods.  Penal  and  compulsory  re- 
medies, he  said,  were  absolutely  necessary;  and  he  ex- 
horted the  pontiff,  by  means  of  the  sword  and  fire,  to 
deliver  mankind  from  the  detestable  innovator  *  Many 
of  the  monksf  joined  in  this  clamour  with  incessant 
vociferation  among  the  people.  Scarcely  a  word  came 
from  their  mouths,  except,  Heresy!  Blasphemy!  Schism! 
"'  I  relate,"  says  Erasmus,  "  what  I  saw  with  my  own 
eyes;  and  I  am  convinced  that  no  one  thing  tended  more 
to  dispose  the  people  in  Luther's  favour,  than  this  im- 
prudent conduct  of  the  clergy.  His  propositions  con- 
cerning the  indulgences  were  soberly  stated;  and  if  they 
had  but  argued  the  points  in  dispute  in  the  same  cool 
way,  these  ruinous  consequences  would  never  have  taken 
place." 

At  length  the  Roman  pontiff  was  roused  from  his  state 
of  indolence  and  security.  Not  only  the  avaricious  ven- 
ders of  indulgences  vociferated  against  Luther,  as  De- 
metrius and  the  silversmiths  did  against  St.  Paul,  when 
their  craft  was  in  danger,!  but,  from  all  quarters,  com- 
plaints of  the  progress  of  heresy  were  sent  to  Rome. 
Even  the  emperor  Maximilian  I.  represented  to  the  pope, 
how  necessary  his  interference  was  become.  The  Au- 
gustine monk,  he  said,  was  disseminating  heretical  and 
destructive  doctrines,  was  obstinate  in  adhering  to  his 
opinions,  and  active  in  propagating  them;  and  he  had 
made  many  converts,  even  among  persons  of  rank  and 
distinction.§ 

The  imprudence  of  Leo  X.  at  this  critical  moment, 
may  seem  almost  the  consequence  of  judicial  infatuation. 

*  Maimb.  p.  38.  f  Erasm.  Epis.  t  Acts,  xix.  24. 

§  Maximilian's  Letter.     Op.  Luth.  vol.  i. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  247 

At  once  he  passed  from  the  extremes  of  neglect  and  in- 
difference to  those  of  tyrannical  violence  and  blind  teii^e- 
rity.  He  ordered  Luther  to  appear  at  Rome  within 
sixty  days,  to  answer  for  himself  before  certain  judges, 
of  whom  his  antagonist  Silvester  Prierias,  was  appointed 
one.  Our  reformer  took  the  wisest  method  to  protect 
himself  against  the  impending  storm.  He  instantly  sent 
an  account  of  the  pope's  citation  to  his  friend  Spalatinus, 
who  vvas  then  with  the  elector  Frederick  at  the  diet  of 
Augsburg;  and  in  the  strongest  terms  requested,  that, 
through  the  interposition  of  the  prince^,  his  cause  might 
be  heard  in  Germany  and  not  at  Rome.  Frederick  the 
Wise  understood  the  arts  and  practice  of  the  court  of 
Rome,  and  was  convinced  of  the  propriety,  and  even  the 
necessity  of  seconding  Luther's  wishes.  Accordingly  he 
urged  the  competency  of  a  German  tribunal  in  an  eccle- 
siastical controversy  of  that  nature;  and  it  seems  entirely 
owing  to  the  address,  the  penetration,  and  the  firmness 
of  this  great  prince,  that  the  Roman  pontiff,  at  last  con- 
sented, that  cardinal  Cajetan,  who  was  then  his  legate  at 
Augsburg,  should  take  cognizance  of  the  matter.  If  the 
delinquent  showed  proper  marks  of  penitence  and  sub- 
mission, he  was  to  be  kindly  received  again  into  the 
bosom  of  the  church;  but  if  he  refused  to  appear  before 
his  appointed  judge,  the  legate  was  commissioned  then 
to  denounce  publicly,  against  him  and  his  adherents,  all 
the  thunders  and  anathemas  of  papal  indignation.* 

Leo  X.  perceiving  how  great  a  favourite  Luther  was 
with  the  elector  of  Saxony,  judged  it  expedient,  by  all 
the  means  in  his  power,  to  secure  the  support  and  con- 
currence of  that  prince  in  an  affair,  which  he  had  now 
begun  to  consider  as  of  the  greatest  moment.     For  this 

*  The  pope's  directions  to  Cajetan.     Luther,  Op,  vol.  i. 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  3. 

purpose  he  acquainted  Frederick,  in  a  polite  and  affec- 
tionate, but  very  artful  epistle,  of  the  measures  which  he 
had  been  compelled  to  adopt,  through  the  disobedience 
of  an  Augustine  monk,  whose  very  "order  and  profes- 
sion should  have  perpetually  reminded  him  of  the  duties 
of  hun)ility  and  obsequiousness."  He  styles  Luther  a 
son  of  iniquity,  a  prevaricator,  who  boasts  of  the  protec- 
tion of  the  elector,  but,  in  fact,  reverences  no  superior 
whatever.  1  know,  says  the  pope,  he  has  no  ground  for 
representing  you  as  one,  who  encourages  and  supports 
him;  nevertheless,  I  exhort  you  in  the  Lord,  and  as  you 
would  preserve  the  reputation  and  dignity  of  a  good 
Catholic  prince,  to  be  on  your  guard,  lest  the  lustre  of 
your  highly  honoured  ancestors  should  be  in  any  degree 
tarnished  by  this  calumny.  I  know  of  no  blame  respect- 
ing you;  but  I  would  wish  you  to  avoid  the  very  suspi- 
cion of  blame,  in  which  the  rashness  of  this  man  may 
involve  you.  He  then  proceeds:  As  many  learned  and 
religious  persons,  and  in  particular,  our  beloved  son, 
Prierias,  the  master  of  our  sacred  palace,  have  informed 
us  of  the  heretical  proceedings  of  Martin  Luther,  we 
have  ordered  him  to  be  called  upon  to  answer  for  him- 
self; and  for  this  purpose,  we  have  given  explicit  direc- 
tions to  cardinal  Cajetan,  our  legate.  Lastly,  he  con- 
cludes with  a  strong  exhortation  and  injunction,  that 
Frederick,  in  virtue  of  the  holy  obedience  which  he 
owed  to  the  Roman  church,  should  contribute  his  utmost 
to  secure  the  person  of  Luther,  and  deliver  him  up  to 
the  power  of  the  Holy  See:  he  declared,  however,  at  the 
same  time,  that  if  he  was  found  innocent,  he  should  be 
dismissed  in  peace  and  in  favour;  and  even  if  he  was 
guilty,  he  would  exercise  clemency  towards  him  largely 
upon  his  repentance.* 

*  Pope's  letter  to  the  Elector  of  Saxony.    Tom,  I,  Witt,  p,  204. 


Cent.  IG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  249 

Frederick  provided  for  the  safety  of  his  favourite  Lu- 
ther in  the  following  manner.  •  He  gave  him  letters  of 
recommendation  to  tiie  senate  and  principal  inhabitants 
of  Augsburg;  who,  instantly  on  his  arrival,  exhorted  him 
not  to  appear  before  the  cardinal,  till  he  had  obtained  a 
promise  of  sate  conduct  from  the  emperor,  who  was  then 
hunting  at  some  distance  from  the  city.  Through  the 
influence  of  these  same  persons,  this  important  request 
of  safe  conduct  was  granted;  and  after  three  days  the 
emperor's  council  announced  to  the  cardinal,  that  the 
public  faith  was  pledged  to  Luther,  and  therefore  he 
must  take  no  violent  steps  against  him.  The  cardinal 
answered,  "It  is  very  well;  nevertheless,  I  shall  do  my 
duty.'' 

Luther  informs  us,  that  during  those  three  days  he 
was  constantly  pressed,  by  a  very  troublesome  emissary 
of  Cajetan,  to  recant.  If  I  would  but  recant,  he  said, 
all  would  be  right.  He  further  relates  a  curious  conver- 
sation which  took  place  between  himself  and  this 
emissary.  He  came  on  the  third  day,  and  expostulated 
as  follows: 

Why  will  you  not  go  to  the  cardinal.?  he  is  waiting  to 
receive  you  in  the  kindest  manner. 

I  must  listen  to  the  advice  of  those  excellent  persons 
to  whom  I  am  recommended  by  the  elector;  and  they 
tell  me,  I  must  by  no  means  go  to  him  till  I  have  obtain- 
ed the  public  faith.  The  moment  that  is  obtained,  I  am 
ready  to  go. 

What,  said  he,  evidently  in  much  agitation,  Do  you 
think  that  prince  Frederick  will  take  up  arms  on  your 
account.? 

It  is  very  far  from  my  wish. 

Where  do  you  mean  to  stay.? 

Vol.  II.  ■    21 


250  mSTORY  OF  THE  [^Chap.  3. 

In  the  open  air. 

Pray,  suppose  you  had  the  pope  and  his  cardinals  all 
in  your  power,  what  would  you  do  with  them? 

I  would  treat  them  with  the  greatest  respect  and 
honour. 

So;  said  he,  waving  his  hand  in  the  ItaHan  manner, 
and  went  away,  and  returned  no  more.* 

At  the  tirst  interview,  Lutiier  prostrated  himself  be- 
fore tlie  cardinal,  and  was  courteously  received.  But, 
at  the  same  time,  he  was  required  to  retract  his  errors, 
to  avoid  them  in  future,  and  to  abstain  from  every  thing, 
which  might  disturb  the  peace  of  the  church.  And 
these  three  things  were  stated  expressly  to  be  the  order 
of  the  most  holy  pope.  Luther  desired  that  he  might  be 
permitted  to  see  the  pope's  brief.  But  this  request  was 
peremptorily  refused. 

The  heaviest  charge  against  him  seems  to  have  been, 
that  he  had  transgressed  the  bull  of  Clement  VI.  which 
had  defined  the  nature  and  extent  of  indulgences;  and 
it  may  easily  be  conceived,  with  how  much  indignation 
the  cardinal  would  hear  the  defence  of  Luther,  namely, 
that  the  holy  Scriptures,  which  he  could  produce  in  sup- 
port of  his  own  doctrines,  had  abundantly  more  weight 
with  him  than  a  pontifical  bull,  which  in  fact  proved  no- 
thing, but  merely  recited  the  opinion  of  Thomas  Aquinas, 
Cajetan,  in  answer,  exalted  the  authoiity  of  the  pope 
above  all  councils,  above  the  church,  and  even  above  the 
Scriptures  themselves.  To  this  Luther  opposed  the  ap- 
peal of  the  university  of  Paris,  whose  reputation  had 
always  stood  high,  as  the  parent  of  science,  and  the  de- 
fender of  the  purest  Christianity.  Cajetan,  in  a  rage, 
declared  that  the  Parisians  would  meet  with  due  punish- 

*  Luth.  Prjrf. 


Cent.ie.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  251 

ment;  and  that  Gerson,*  whose  writings  Luther  had 
quoted,  was  damned,  (ogetlicr  with  all- his  followers.  So 
extravagantly  high  wore  the  ideas  of  papal  power  con- 
ceived by  this  cardinal,  that  even  the  very  moderate  con- 
tradiction, given  in  France  to  the  pontilT^  appeared  in 
his  eyes  an  unpardonable  sin.  Little  did  he  then  ima- 
gine how  much  more  openly  his  magnificent  lord  and 
master  was  to  be  opposed  within  the  short  space  of  a 
few  months. 

Frowns  and  menaces  were  by  no  means  adapted  to 
intimidate  the  determined  mind  of  the  Saxon  reformer. 
He  continued  to  insist  on  the  authority  of  Scripture. 
He  owned  he  might  have  erred,  but  he  thought  it  rea- 
sonable that  his  errors  should  be  pointed  out,  on  scriptu- 
ral grounds,  before  he  should  be  required  to  retract. 

When  Luther  found,  that  not  the  smallest  progress 
was  made  by  conversation  with  the  cardinal,  and  that  all 
his  fine  promises  of  kind  treatment  amounted  precisely 
to  this,  "you  must  either  recant,  or  suffer  punishment/' 
he  wisely  determined  to  commit  his  answers  to  writing. 
In  so  doing,  says  he,  the  oppressed  find  comfort  in  two 
ways;  in  the  first  place,  what  is  written,  may  be  submit- 
ted to  the  judgment  of  others;  and  in  the  second,  one 
has  a  better  opportunity  pf  working  upon  the  fears  and 
the  conscience  of  an  arrogant  despot,  who  would  other- 
wise overpower  one  by  his  imperious  language.! 

Agreeably  to  this  resolution,  he  appeared  before  the 
cardinal  with  a  notary  and  witnesses,  repeated  his  pro- 
testations of  general  obedience  to  the  church,  and  his 
perfect  readiness  to  recant  any  error  of  which  he  could 

*  The  reader  will  remember,  that  this  celebrated  chancellor  of  the  univer- 
sity of  Paris,  maintained,  at  the  council  of  Constance,  the  superiority  of  a 
general  council  over  the  pope. 

t  Luther's  letter  to  Fred 


252  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  3. 

be  convicted.  Cajetan  replied  with  so  much  acrimony, 
that  the  accused  monk  had  no  opportunity  of  explaining 
or  of  vindicating  his  sentiments.  He  absolutely  refused 
to  dispute  with  Luther,  either  in  public  or  in  private;  he 
would  not  even  consent  that  a  single  word  of  his  own 
answers  should  be  put  down  in  writing.  He  continued 
to  press  for  a  recantation. 

Staupitius,  who  was  present  at  the  scene,  and  who 
hitherto  had  acted  the  part  of  a  steady  friend  of  Luther, 
rose  up,  and  intreated  the  legate  to  permit  the  accused 
to  return  his  answers  at  length  in  writing.  To  which 
request,  he,  with  great  difficulty,  at  last  acceded. 

At  the  next  conference,  Luther  exhibited  his  written 
explanation  and  defence,  which  the  cardinal  treated  with 
the  greatest  contempt.  He  told  him,  he  had  filled  his 
paper  with  passages  of  Scripture,  which  were  irrelevant, 
and  in  general  that  his  answers  were  those  of  a  perfect 
idiot.  He  condescended,  however,  to  say,  he  would 
send  them  to  Rome.  Lastly,  he  ordered  Luther  to  de- 
part, and  to  come  no  more  into  his  sight,  unless  he  dis- 
posed to  recant. 

Notwithstanding  this  rough  treatment,  it  was  Luther's 
firm  opinion,  that  it  would  have  given  the  cardinal  great 
pleasure  to  hear  him  recant.  It  may  be  thought  some 
confirmation  of  tliis  sentiment,  that  in  the  evening  of  the 
very  day  in  which  this  last  conference  took  place,  he 
sent  for  the  vicar-general  Staupitius,  and  desired  him  to 
persuade  his  young  monk  to  retract.  Staupitius  pro- 
mised to  do  his  utmost.  "  You  must  answer  his  scriptu- 
ral arguments,"  said  Cajetan.  Staupitius  replied  ingenu- 
ously, "  That  is  above  my  power.  I  am  his  inferior  both 
in  capacity  and  in  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures." 

Throughout  this  whole  conference  at  Augsburg,  car- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIS'1\  253 

dinal  Cajetan  appears  to  have  been  conscious  how  ill 
qualified  he  was  to  enter  the  lists  with  Luther,  as  a  dis- 
putant in  theological  questions.  Indeed,  the  doctrines 
of  the  gospel,  as  far  as  we  can  judge,  gave  him  little 
concern.  His  anxiety  was,  how  he  might  best  ensure 
obedience  to  the  pontifical  mandates.  He  inquired  not 
whether  these  mandates  were  reasonable  or  repugnant 
to  Scripture,  it  was  sufficient  for  him  to  know  that  they 
were  the  dictates  of  a  pope.  The  decretal  of  pope  Cle- 
ment VI.  which  he  urged  with  so  much  heat  and  posi- 
tiveness  against  Luther  in  the  dispute  respecting  indul- 
gences, maintained,  that  •'  One  drop  of  Christ's  blood 
being  sufficient  to  redeem  the  whole  human  race,  the 
remaining  quantity,  that  was  shed  in  the  garden  and 
upon  the  cross,  was  left  as  a  legacy  to  the  church  to  be 
a  treasure  from  ivhence  indulgences  were  to  be  drawn 
and  administered  by  the  Roman  pontiffs:"*  the  Augus- 
tine monk  had,  for  some  time  past,  been  too  much  en- 
lightened to  digest  such  wild  superstitious  inventions; 
and  the  man,  who  could  call  upon  him,  upon  these 
grounds,  to  renounce  his  errors,  was  not  to  be  reasoned 
with.  Still  it  required  extraordinary  courage  to  deliver 
in  a  formal  protest  against  the  belief  of  tenets,  which  at 
that  time  were  both  established  by  the  highest  authority, 
and  also  supposed  to  have  been  dictated  by  an  infallible 
judgment. 

Some  objections  were  made  to  Luther's  ideas  of  justi- 
fication by  faith:  but  Cajetan  did  not  scruple  to  confess, 
that,  if  he  would  but  have  retracted  his  opposition  to  the 
indulgences,  all  other  differences  might  have  been  com- 
posed in  an  amicable  manner;  and  that  his  opinions  con- 
cerning the  efficacy  of  faith  in  justification  and  in  the 

*  Maclaine  in  Mosheim,  vol.  ii,  chap.  ii. 


1»V 


i 


254  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  S. 

sacrament,  admitted  of  being  modified  and  interpreted, 
so  as  to  be  inoffensive.  When  Staupitius  was  informed 
of  this  circumstance,  he  expressed  a  wish,  that  the  car- 
dinal had  avowed  that  sentiment  in  the  presence  of  the 
notary  and  the  witnesses;  because,  tl)en,  said  he,  there 
would  liave  been  clear  proof  that,  at  Rome,  moiuy  was 
held  in  greater  estimation  {h?in  faith. 

Luther,  on  the  contrary,  considered  the  Scripture  doc- 
trine of  justification  by  faith  as  of  infinite  importance. 
He  declared,  that  he  would  rather  retract  eveiy  thing 
which  he  had  said  upon  other  subjects,  than  that,  which 
he  must  adhere  to  with  his  dying  breath.  That  in  re- 
gard to  indulgences,  their  intrinsic  nature,  whatever  it 
might  be,  could  not  be  altered  by  ostentatious  praises  and 
honours,  but  that  if  he  gave  up  the  article  of  justification 
by  faith,  he  should,  in  fact,  deny  Jesus  Christ  himself. 
That,  though  the  cardinal  had  promised  to  conduct  the 
inquiry  according  to  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  and  the  rules 
of  the  church,  he  had  not  produced  a  single  text  of 
Scripture  against  him,  nor  any  one  authority  from  the 
holy  fathers.  Lastly,  that  he  was  confident  no  answer 
could  ever  be  given  to  the  scriptural  arguments  and  the 
authorities,  which  he  had  produced  in  support  of  the 
doctrine  in  question.*  Our  peace,  says  he,  consists  in 
coming  to  Clirist  in  lively  faith:  if  a  man  believe  not  the 
promise,  he  may  practise  confession  to  all  the  world,  and 
he  may  be  absolved  a  thousand  thousand  times  even  by 
the. pope  himself,  but  he  will  never  obtain,  on  good 
grounds,  a  quiet  conscience.! 

It  was  on  Friday,  the  fourteenth  of  October,  1518, 
that  Luther  made  his  last  appearance  before  the  pope's 
legate.    A  report  was  spread,  that,  notwithstanding  the 

*  Eplst.  ad  Fred,  f  Resolut.  de  Indulg. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  255 

engagement  of  a  safe  conduct,  he  was  to  be  seized  and 
confined  in  irons.  He  remained,  however,  at  Augsburg 
till  the  succeeding  Monday.  He  heard  nothing  from 
the  cardinal.  How  great  must  have  been  his  anxiety! 
On  the  Monday,  by  a  letter  couched  in  the  most  respect- 
ful terms,. he  begged  pardon  for  any  irreverent  or  unbe- 
coming language  towards  the  pontiff,  which  might  have 
escaped  him  in  the  heat  and  hurry  of  the  debate;  he 
even  promised  to  desist  from  treating  the  subject  of  in- 
dulgences any  more,  provided  his  antagonists  were  en- 
Joined  to  observe  a  similar  silence.  But  to  retract  his 
sentiment,  or  give  up  the  truth,  he  absolutely  refused. 
He  said,  his  conscience  would  not  permit  him  to  act  in 
that  manner.  He  acknowledged  that  his  friends,  and 
especially  his  vicar-general,  had  taken  great  pains  to 
make  him  think  humbly,  submit  his  own  opinion  and 
form  a  right  judgment:  but,  said  he,  neither  the  favour 
nor  the  advice,  nor  the  command  of  any  man  ought  ever 
to  make  me  do  or  say  what  is  contrary  to  my  conscience. 
To  this  letter  he  received  no  answer. 

On  the  next  day  he  sent  another  letter  to  Cajetan,  ex- 
pressed in  more  spirited  language  and  nearer  to  his  usual 
strain.  "  He  conceived  he  had  done  every  thing  which 
became  an  obedient  son  of  the  church.  He  had  under- 
taken a  long  and  dangerous  journey;  he  was  a  man  of  a 
weak  body,  and  had  very  little  money  to  spend.  He  had 
laid  the  book,  which  contained  his  opinions,  at  the  feet 
of  his  holiness  the  pope;  he  had  appeared  before  his 
most  reverend  father  the  cardinal;  and  he  was  now  wait- 
ing to  be  instructed  how  far  he  was  right  in  his  opinions, 
and  how  far  wrong — it  could  no  longer  serve  any  good 
purpose  to  spend  his  time  there,  and  be  a  burden  to  his 
friends.     He  was   really  in  want  of  money.     Besides, 


256  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.S, 

the  cardinal  had  told  him  viva  voce,  to  come  no  more 
into  his  sight,  unless  he  would  recant;"  and,  said  Luther, 
"  in  my  former  letter  I  have  distinctly  pointed  out  all  the 
recantation  I  can  possibly  make."  He  then  signified 
his  positive  determination  to  leave  the  place;  but  not  be- 
Ibre  he  had  formally  appealed  from  the  pope's  legate, 
nay  from  the  pope  himself,  "  ill  informed,  to  the  same 
most  holy  Leo  X.  that  he  might  be  better  informed." 
In  prosecuting  this  appeal  he  confessed  that  he  acted 
rather  from  the  judgment  of  some  persons  of  distinction 
than  from  his  own.  If  he  had  been  left  entirely  to  him- 
self, he  should  have  thought  an  appeal  unnecessary  in 
this  case.  He  wished  to  refer  every  thing  to  the  deter- 
mination of  the  church.  What  could  he  do  more?  He 
was  not  a  contentious  adversary,  but  a  tractable  scholar. 
Even  the  elector  Frederick,  he  knew,  would  be  better 
pleased  with  his  appeal  than  his  recantation.  He  there- 
fore besought  the  cardinal  to  consider  both  his  departure 
and  his  appeal  as  the  effect  of  necessity  and  of  the  au- 
thority of  his  friends.  They  said  what  will  you  retract.'' 
Is  your  retractation  to  be  the  rule  of  our  faith?  If  any 
thing,  which  you  have  advanced,  is  to  be  condemned,  let 
the  church  decide,  and  do  you  obey.  This  reasoning, 
in  his  mind,  was  irresistible. 

Luther  waited  four  whole  days,  reckoning  from  the 
day  of  his  dismission  by  the  cardinal;  and  still  received 
no  further  orders.  The  suspense  was  extremely  afflict- 
ing; and  both  himself  and  his  friends  began  to  suspect 
that  this  total  silence  portended  violence  to  his  person. 
To  prevent  being  seized  and  imprisoned,  he  quitted 
Augsburg  very  early  in  the  morning  of  the  nineteenth  of 
October,  1518.  A  friendly  senator  ordered  the  gates  of 
the  city  to  be  opened,  and  he  mounted  a  horse,  which 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  251 

Staupitius  had  procured  for  him.  He  had  neither  boots 
nor  spurs,  nor  sword;  and  he  was  so  fatigued  with  that 
day's  journey,  that  wlien  he  descended  from  his  horse, 
he  was  not  able  to  stand,  but  fell  down  instantly  among 
the  straw  in  the  stable.*  He  had,  however,  taken  care 
before  his  departure,  that  every  thing  relative  to  his  ap- 
peal, should  be  done  in  a  proper  manner  and  in  the  pre- 
sence of  a  notary  public. 

Such  was  the  conclusion  of  the  conferences  at  Augs- 
burg, in  which  the  firmness  and  plain  dealing  of  Luther 
was  no  less  conspicuous  than  the  unreasonable  and  im- 
perious behaviour  of  tiie  cardinal. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Controversy  continued^ 

Luther,  foreseeing  the  manner  in  which  he  should 
probably  be  treated  at  Rome,  and  desirous  of  anticipating 
the  papal  censures,  of  which  he  was  in  daily  expecta- 
tion, had  recourse  to  the  wise  expedient  of  appealing 
formally  to  a  general  council.  In  the  instrument  of  his 
appeal,  he  still  professes  obedience  to  the  authority  of  the 
apostolic  See;  but  as  the  pope  was  only  a  man,  and  like 
other  men  liable  to  err,  and  as  St.  Peter,  the  most  holy 
of  all  his  predecessors,  had  actually  erred,  he  appealed 
to  the  next  general  council,  which  when  legally  assem- 
bled, was  a  power  superior  to  that  of  the  pope,  and  could 
afford  redress  to  the  oppressed. 

It  soon  appeared,  that  Luther  was  not  mistaken  in  his 

*  Tom  I.  Altemb.  p.  150. — Paul  Sarpi  says,  what  is  not  at  all  improbable, 
that  Luther  had  John  Huss's  case  in  his  head. 
Vol.,  IK  2  K 


25S  HISTORY  OF  THE  ^Chap.  4. 

conjectures  respecting  the  intentions  of  the  Romish 
Court.  His  appeal  to  a  future  council  is  dated  Novem- 
ber 28,  1518.  But  Leo  X.  without  mentioning  the  name 
of  Luther,  on  the  9th  of  November  of  the  same  year  is- 
sued a  bull,  in  which  he  confirmed  tlie  doctrine  of  indul- 
gences in  the  most  absolute  manner. 

But  the  mercenary  prostitution  of  indulgences  had  not 
been  confined  to  Germany.  In  the  summer  of  this  same 
year,  1518,  Samson,  a  Franciscan,  of  Milan,  came  to 
Zurich,  to  prosecute  the  scandalous  traffic.  There  he 
was  opposed  by  Huldric  Zuinglius,  afterwards  the  famous 
Swiss  reformer.*  In  the  month  of  September,  Samson 
came  to  Zug,  where  a  servant  seeing  the  people  press  in 
crowds,  addressed  them:  "Be  not  so  importunate,  I  be- 
seech you;  let  those  enter  first,  who  are  furnished  with 
money,  care  shall  be  taken  afterwards  of  the  poor.^f 
At  Bern,  the  enormities  exceed,  if  possible,  those  which 
had  been  practised  in  Germany.  When  the  sale  of  the 
indulgences  was  over,  baptismal  innocence  was  restored 
to  all  present,  who  should  confess  their  sins,  and  thrice 
recite  the  Lord's  prayer,  in  the  Angelic  salutation:  those 
also,  who  thrice  went  round  the  great  church  daily,  re- 
peating prayers,  might  free  what  souls  they  pleased  from 
purgatory.  Still  grosser  corruptions  than  these  were 
practised.  But  the  infatuation  of  the  hierarchy  was  in- 
curable. Evangelical  light  and  liberty  was  fast  advancing 
to  the  relief,  both  of  Germany  and  Switzerland,  yet  the 
rulers  of  the  church  shut  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their 
heart.  Scarcely  roused  from  a  state  of  shameful  sloth 
and  sensuality,  they  seem  to  have  instantly  fallen  into  the 
opposite  extreme  of  blind  presumption  and  impetuous 

*  Father  Paul,  B.  I.  p.  8.  f  Page  60,  Seckendorf— Hottingen. 


Cent.ie.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  259 

rage.     Pride,  rasliness,  and  a  most  tyrannical  ambition, 
appeared  in  all  their  councils. 

At  length,  however,  Rome  had  recourse  to  negotiation. 
Frederick  was  courted  by  the  offer  of  the  golden  conse- 
crated I'osc,  but  in  vain.  A  new  legate,  Charles  Miltitz, 
a  Saxon  knight,  had  several  conferences  with  Luther. 
These  too  were  fruitless. 

Luther  wrote  a  submissive  letter  to  the  pope,  for  he 
was  by  no  means  disposed  to  break  with  the  pontiff;  and 
it  is  not  improbable  he  would  have  continued  an  obe- 
dient subject  of  the  Roman  See  all  his  days,  if  he  might 
have  been  permitted,  without  molestation,  to  discharge 
the  office  of  a  faithful  pastor  of  Christ. 

He  said,  it  was  a  great  giief  to  him  to  find  himself  ac- 
cused of  want  of  respect  to  the  church  of  Rome:  that  his 
design  in  all  he  had  done,  was  to  maintain  the  honour  of 
that  church;  and  that  as  his  writings  were  now  spread 
throughout  all  Germany,  he  could  not  retract  his  asser- 
tions without  dishonouring  the  said  church:  that  the  per- 
sons who  really  injured  the  holy  See,  were  the  very 
preachers  whom  he  had  opposed:  they  disgraced  their 
sacred  office  by  the  most  absurd  discourses,  and  by  seek- 
ing only  to  gratify  their  avarice  under  the  protection  of 
his  Holiness.  Lastly,  he  declared,  that  he  was  ready  to 
observe  silence  in  future  respecting  indulgences,  pro- 
vided his  adversaries  would  also  forbear  their  provoca- 
tions. In  concluding,  he  solemnly  protested,  that  all 
along  he  had  aimed  at  nothing  but  to  prevent  the  mother- 
church  from  being  polluted  by  the  vile  imputation  of  ava- 
rice, and  the  people  from  being  seduced  by  a  false  no- 
tion, that  the  indulgences  were  preferable  to  truly  bene- 
volent actions.* 

*  Luth.  Op.  Vol.  I.— Du  Pin.  Cent.  16. 


260  IIISTORV  OF  TIIK  [^Chap.  A. 

Leo  X.  disdained  to  accept  the  submission,  and  open 
the  door  of  reconciliation.  While  the  Roman  pontiff, 
rejecting  counsels  of  peace,  was  listening  to  enraged  bi- 
gots, greedy  Dominicans,  and  ambitious  cardinals,  the 
inquisitive  spirit  of  the  humble  professor  of  Wittemberg, 
was  enabled,  by  degrees  and  a  constant  study  of  the 
Scriptures,  to  acquire  a  practical  conviction  that  the  ty- 
ranny of  the  papal  hierarchy  was  no  longer  to  be  en- 
dured. It  was  undoubtedly  this  gradual  insight  into  the 
enormities  of  the  popedom,  which,  co-operating  with  the 
infatuation  of  the  pontifical  advisers  in  their  unaccount- 
able aversion  to  healing  and  pacific  measures,  raised  that 
general  spirit  of  indignation,  and  of  opposition  to  the  es- 
tablished religion,  which  at  length  terminated  in  the 
blessed  Reformation. 

Luther  had  almost  as  much  to  fear  from  timid  friendship 
as  from  open  enmity.  When  prompt,  bold,  and  efficient 
support  was  necessary,  he  found  himself  called  upon  to 
encourage  the  doubting  and  cheer  the  trembling.  Eras- 
mus wrote  to  him,  but  Erasmus  was  resolved  to  venture 
nothing.  Even  the  elector  Frederick  was  full  of  anxie- 
ties. His  friends  cold,  and  irresolute,  who  could  Luther 
repose  upon  but  Christ. 

The  immediate  circumstance,  which  seems  to  have 
given  the  alarm  at  this  time*  to  the  friends  of  Luther, 
was  the  bold  declarations  of  this  theologian,  in  his  an- 
swers to  the  positions  of  Eckius,  respecting  the  founda- 
tion of  the  pope's  authority.  He  had  written  to  Spala- 
tinus  very  explicitly  on  this  subject,  but  seems  not  com- 
pletely to  have  satisfied  his  scruples.  To  call  in  ques- 
tion the  origin  of  the  power  of  the  pope,  was  to  treat 
tender  ground;  the  nations,  as  yet,  secretly  revered  his 

*  Viz,  about  the  middle  of  1519. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  261 

majesty,  and  dreaded  his  vengeance;  though,  in  reggird 
to  ecclesiastical  abuses  in  general,  they  had  indeed  begun 
to  open  their  eyes,  and  were  receiving  Iresji  hghi  apace. 

After  his  literary  defeat  in  the  affair  of  iiuhdgences, 
Eckius  circulated  thirteen  propositions,  all  of  them  level- 
led against  the  heresies  of  Lutheranisnfj.  One  of  the?e 
propositions  affirmed  the  grand  article  of  a  papist's  faith, 
namely,  "That  the  pontiffs  are  vicars  of  Christ,  and  the 
successors  of  St.  Peter."*  Luther  had  the  sagacity  in- 
stantly to  see  through  his  design,  and  expressed  himself 
to  the  following  effect:  "  I  never  so  much  as  touched 
upon  this  subject  in  any  of  my  discourses.  Eckius  now 
brings  it  forward  to  serve  several  purposes.  He  thinks, 
he  shall  hereby  cast  an  odium  upon  me,  and  at  the  same 
time  flatter  the  court  of  Rome,  to  his  own  profit,  and  to 
the  ruin  of  his  brother  Martin  Luther." 

It  will  here  be  proper  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the 
famous  disputation  which  was  carried  on  publicly  at 
Leipsic,  for  many  days  together,  in  the  course  of  this 
year. 

Eckius,  relying  on  the  brilliancy  of  his  own  talents  and 
the  popularity  of  his  cause,  earnestly  sought  for  a  public 
exhibition  of  theological  skill;  and,  with  this  view,  chal- 
lenged Carolstadt,  the  colleague  and  adherent  of  Luther, 
and  even  Luther  himself,  to  try  their  strength  with  him 
in  a  contest  on  the  points  in  dispute.  Carolstadt  was  a 
doctor  of  divinity,  and  archdeacon  of  Wittemberg,  and  is 
esteemed  one  of  the  first  open  defenders  of  Luther.  The 
challenge  was  accepted;  and  George,  duke  of  Saxony, 
uncle  of  the  elector,  offered  the  combatants  his  city  of 
Leipsic,  as  the  scene  of  debate,  with  an  engagement  for 
their  security,  and  a  promise  of  every  convenience.    He 

*  Propos,  Ecc.  Luth.  Op.  Vol.  I. 


2Q2  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  4. 

was  himself  a  strenuous  Roman  Catholic,  and  he  expect- 
ed that  great  glory  would  accrtie  to  the  papal  cause  from 
the  well-known  abilities  and  attainments  of  Eckius.  Lu- 
ther obtained  leave  to  be  present  at  the  contest  as  a  spec- 
tator, but  was  expressly  denied  the  grant  of  a  safe  con- 
duct, if  he  attempted  to  appear  in  the  character  of  a  dis- 
putant. The  assembly  was  splendid;  the  expectations  of 
mankind  were  strongly  fixed;  and  it  was  vainly  imagined 
that  some  decision  would  be  made  concerning  the  objects 
of  cont^;ntion. 

The  first  subject  of  debate  between  Eckius  and  Ca- 
rolstadt,  respected  the  limits  of  nature  and  grace. 

The  whole  controversy  was  carried  on  with  much  cla- 
mour and  confusion;  the  Roman  party  prevailed  in  popu- 
larity at  Leipsic;  Eckius  delivered  what  he  had  to  say 
with  prodigious  animation,  and  is  allowed  to  have  far  ex- 
ceeded Carolstadt  in  energetic  exertions  of  voice  and  ac- 
tion. Luther  protests,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  that 
as  long  as  an  appeal  to  books  and  written  documents 
were  admitted,  his  friend  Carolstadt  defended  himself 
with  a  rich  variety  of  apt  and  excellent  quotations. 
"But,"  says  he,  "Eckius  made  a  proposal,  that  all  books 
should  be  laid  aside,  and  the  dispute  go  on  without  them; 
the  multitude  gave  a  shout  of  approbation;  and  then,  I 
freely  own,  that  Eckius,  who  had  the  better  memory  and 
a  greater  flow  of  words,  supported  his  side  of  the  ques- 
tion in  a  more  plausible  manner  than  his  opponent.^^* 

This  disputation  continued  for  six  days;f  during  which 
time,  the  superior  eloquence  and  acuteness  of  Eckius 
seems  to  have  afforded  a  temporary  triumph  to  the  ene- 
mies of  the  reformation.  Flushed  with  success,  and 
thirsting  for  glory,  this  champion  of  the  papal  system, 

*  Seek.  75.  t  From  June  27,  1519,  to  July  4. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.      .->  26S 

came  to  Luther  at  his  lodgings,  and,  with  an  air  of  con- 
fidence, said,  "I  understand  you  will  not  dispute  with  me 
in  public."  "  How  can  I  dispute  with  you,"  said  Lu- 
ther, "  when  the  duke  George  refuses  me  my  request  of 
a  safe  conduct?"  Eckius  replied,  "  If  I  am  not  to  com- 
bat you,  I  will  spend  no  more  time  on  Carolstadt.  It 
was  on  your  account  that  I  came  here.  Suppose  I  could 
obtain  the  public  faith  for  your  safety,  would  you  then 
meet  me  and  try  your  strength,''"*  Luther  consented; 
and  very  soon  after  he  had  the  duke's  leave  to  take  Ca~ 
rolstadt's  place  in  the  public  debate. 

This  second  theological  conflict  was  carried  on  for  ten 
days,  with  uncommon  ardour  and  without  intermission. 
Among  the  articles  of  controversy  were  the  doctrines  of 
purgatory  and  indulgences,  the  nature  of  repentance  and 
remission  of  sins,  and,  particularly,  the  foundation  of  the 
supremacy  of  the  Roman  pontiffs.  It  was  in  this  last 
article  of  the  controversy,  that  Eckius  placed  his  chief 
strength  and  expectation  of  victory.  His  numerous  au- 
dience in  general,  with  the  duke  of  Saxony  at  their  head, 
favoured  the  papal  cause:  long  habits  of  ignorance,  su- 
perstition, and  prejudice,  in  religious  matters,  had  esta- 
blished the  Romish  doctrines;  and  the  few,  who  ventured 
to  inquire  for  reasons  of  their  faith,  were  deemed  im- 
pious and  accursed,  and  worthy  of  expulsion  from  the 
community. 

Moreover,  this  question  concerning  the  superiority  of 
the  Roman  See  was  well  contrived  to  promote  the  ambi- 
tious designs  of  Eckius  in  every  way.  Luther,  it  was 
foreseen,  must  either  shun  the  main  point  in  debate  by 
disgraceful  evasions;  or,  by  a  direct  avowal  of  his  doc-  a 
trines,  expose  himself  to  the  charge  of  open  heresy.     He 

•  Melch,  Ad 


2Q4,  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.4, 

must  eilher  yield  the  palm  of  eloquence  and  of  theologi- 
cal skill  to  his  crafty  adversary,  or  he  would  inevitably 
furnish  such  decisive  proofs  of  rebellion  against  the  hie- 
rarchy as  would  ensure  his  own  condemnation  at  the 
court  of  Rome.  Thus  the  troublesome  innovator  was 
supposed  to  be  entangled  in  an  inextricable  dilemma;  while 
the  prudent  defender  of  the  established  religion,  looking 
forward  to  nothing  but  conquest  and  glory,  anticipated 
the  praises  and  honours  of  the  Roman  pontiff.  Luther, 
whom  we  have  observed  to  have  been  fully  sensible  in 
how  nice  and  critical  a  situation  he  was  placed,  was  much 
hurt  by  the  ungenerous  conduct  of  Eckius  in  this  busi- 
ness, and  severely  reproached  him  for  it  afterwards. 

To  the  talents  and  the  artifices  of  the  popish  advocate, 
the  Saxon  reformer,  besides  his  superior  abilities  and 
more  intimate  knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  opposed  a 
good  conscience,  a  firm  determination  to  hazard  every 
thing  in  the  cause  of  butk,  and  a  confident  expectation 
of  the  blessing  of  the  Almighty.  In  particular,  against 
Eckius's  doctrine  of  the  divine  right  of  the  popes,  he  ad- 
vanced the  following  proposition:  "All  the  proofs,  which 
can  beproduced  to  show  that  the  church  of  Rome  is  su- 
perior to  other  churches,  are  taken  out  of  insipid  decre- 
tals of  the  popes  themselves,  made  within  these  four  hun- 
dred years;  and  against  this  notion  of  supremacy,  there 
are  passages  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  approved  histories 
for  eleven  hundred  years,  and  the  determinations  of  the 
council  of  Nice/^ 

When  Eckius  contended,  that  the  expressions  "  Thou 
art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  will  I  build  my  church.'' 
"  And  I  will  give  unto  thee  the  keys,"  evinced  the  supre- 
macy of  St.  Peter  and  his  successors;  that  this  was  the 
explanation  given  by  the  holy  fathers,  and  that  the  con- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  2Qo 

trary  opinion  was  among  the  errors  of  Wickliif  and  John 
Hiiss;  Luther  in  reply  said,  that  he  could  produce  more 
passages  from  the  fathers  in  support  of  his  own  interpre- 
tation of  the  passages  in  question  than  Eckius  could  of 
his;  but  that  he  had  no  hesitation  to  add,  that  even  if  all 
the  fathers,  without  exception,  had  understood  the  pas- 
sages in  that  sense,  he  would  confute  them  by  the  autho- 
rity of  St.  Paul,  and  St.  Peter  himself,  who  say,  that  Je- 
sus Christ  is  the  only  foundation  and  corner  stone  of  his 
church.  He  further  observed,  that  the  words,  "Thou 
art  Peter,^'  ....  if  construed  strictly,  must  be  confined 
to  the  person  of  Peter,  and  therefore  the  authority  con- 
veyed by  them  ceased  when  that  apostle  died;  and  that 
if  their  meaning  was  to  be  extended  to  the  church  and  to 
Peter's  successors,  no  reason  could  be  given,  why  all  the 
apostles  and  all  their  successors  should  not  be  under- 
stood to  be  the  successors  of  Peter:  lastly,  he  intimated 
that  his  adversary  had  been  very  unfortunate  in  appeal- 
ing to  the  authority  of  Cyprian.  "If,"  said  Luther, 
"the  learneddoctor  will  agree  to  stand  or  fall  by  the  au- 
thority of  Cyprian,  we  shall  quickly  put  an  end  to  this 
controversy:  For,  in  the  first  place,  Cyprian  never  ad- 
dresses Cornelius,  the  bishop  of  Rome,  in  any  other  man- 
ner than  *  My  dear  brother;'  and  in  the  second,  he  ex- 
pressly says,  that  every  bishop  has  a  distinct  jurisdictioH 
of  his  own,  and  that  bishops  ought  not  to  interfere  with 
each  other,  but  wait  for  the  day  of  judgment  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ."* 

Eckius  was  so  much  struck  with  the  reasonings  of 
Luther,  and  especially  with  the  neat  and  well  digested 
order  in  which  his  materials  were  arranged,  that  he  was 
compelled  to  acknowledge,  before  a  splendid  audience, 

*  Revolut.  Lmheri 
Vol.  IX,  2  L 


2(je  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  4. 

the  "  qualifications  and  attainments  of  his  Reverend  op- 
ponent." He  even  besought  their  illustrious  and  magni- 
ficent mightinesses  to  pardon  himself,  who  was  so  much 
occupied  with  other  concerns,  if  he  should  not  be  able 
to  produce  such  a  mass  of  accurate  testimonies  as  the 
learned  doctor  had  laid  before  them.  He  came  to  Leip- 
sic,  he  said,  not  to  write  books,  but  to  dispute. 

Shortly  after  this  contest,  Luther  wrote  thus  to  a 
fi'lend:  "That  I  may  be  the  better  qualified  for  the  en- 
suing debates  at  Leipsic,  I  am  turning  over  the  decretals 
of  the  popes;  and  I  would  whisper  into  your  ear,  that  I 
begin  to  entertain  doubts,  whether  the  Roman  pontiff  be 
not  the  very  Antichrist  of  the  Scriptures,  or  his  Mes- 
senger; so  wretchedly  corrupted  by  him,  in  the  decretals, 
are  the  pure  doctiines  of  Christ."* 

The  victory  in  the  theological  contest  at  Leipsic,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  was  claimed  by  both  sides. 

It  was  in  an  accurate  acquaintance  with  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  with  ecclesiastical  history,  that  Luther 
more  particularly  manifested  his  superiority  over  Eckius. 
Very  full  and  exact  documents  are  in  existence,  both  of 
what  was  said  and  what  was  written  in  the  disputation; 
and  no  well-informed  Roman  Catholic  will  deny  this  to 
be  a  fair  statement  of  the  case.  But,  notwithstanding 
the  increased  reputation  with  which  the  German  theolo- 
gian departed  from  the  scene  of  controversy,  it  was  easy 
to  foresee,  that  the  court  of  Rome  would  now  be  more 
incensed  against  him  than  ever.  He  had  indeed  almost 
agreed  with  his  adversary  on  some  of  the  disputed  points: 
he  had  even  defended  the  authority  of  the  Roman  See, 
so  far  as  to  place  it  on  the  foundation  of  human  right; 
in  short,  he  had  exhibited  a  spirit  of  fidelity,  moderation 

*  Ep.  p.  100. 


eent,  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIS  I.  26? 

and  obedience;  but  all  this  could  not  expiate  the  unpar- 
donable offence  of  searching  the  sacred  oracles  for  him- 
self, of  confuting  the  papal  pretensions  to  divine  appoint- 
ment and  infallibility,  and,  what  was  deemed,  perhaps,  if 
not  the  most  heinous,  the  most  dangerous  crime  of  all,  of 
resisting  and  exposing  the  flagitious  practices  of  the  in- 
ferior agents  and  instruments  of  ecclesiastical  rapine  and 
tyranny.  The  man,  who  had  proceeded  to  such  extre- 
mities, was  not  to  be  managed  by  mild  and  gentle  admo- 
nitions; neither  was  he  to  be  gained  over  by  bribes  and 
flattery;  he  was  an  enemy  of  the  holy  church,  and  justly 
merited  all  she  could  inflict  in  her  utm.ost  fury  and  indig- 
nation. 

Moreover,  popery  was  not  a  religion  which  betrayed 
only  occasional  defects  and  errors:  It  had  long  been  a 
system  of  corruption;  all  the  parts  of  which  were  tho- 
roughly connected  with  each  other,  and  conspired  toge- 
ther to  deceive,  defraud,  and  domineer  over  mankind. 
The  members  of  the  system  sympathized  with  their  head 
in  a  remarkable  manner:  they  saw  their  very  existence 
in  its  safety;  and  flew  to  its  defence  on  the  slightest  ap- 
pearance of  danger.     In  return,  the  sovereign  head  of 
this  vast  body  superintended  the  respective  interests  of 
all  the  members  with  exquisite  care,  and  even  with  pa- 
ternal solicitude.     If,  in  some  instances,  the  conduct  of 
the  Roman  pontiffs  does  not  exactly  accord  with  this  re- 
presentation, the  deviation  will  be  found  to  have  arisen, 
never  from  a  relaxation  or  a  change  of  principle,  but 
from  pride,  contempt,  indolence,  and  a  sense  of  security. 
This  was  the  case,  we  have  seen,  with  Leo  X.  in  the 
very  early  stages  of  Lutheranism. 

That  some  good  might  result  from  the  contentions  at 
Leipsic,  and  that  mankind  might  be  less  bewildered  in 


2QS  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C7m/7.4. 

the  mazes  of  subtle  disputation,  this  dihgent  servant  of 
God  determined  to  review  carefully  all  his  own  positions, 
which  had  been  the  subject  of  debate  in  his  conference 
with  Eckius.  and  to  publish  them  with  concise  explana- 
tions, and  with  arguments  in  their  support,  consisting  of 
appeals  to  Scripture  and  ecclesiastical  history.  These 
positions,  or,  as  they  were  sometimes  called,  theses  or 
conclusions,  amounted  in  number  to  thirteen,  and  related 
chiefly  to  Roman  Catholic  peculiarities.  Several  of  them, 
however,  gave  the  author  occasion  to  state  and  studiously 
illustrate  the  scriptural  doctrine  of  grace,  and  the  nature 
of  indwelling*  sin,  as  described  by  St.  Paul  in  the  se- 
venth'chapter  to  the  Romans.  In  fallen  man,  he  ob- 
serves, there  remains  an  internal  principle  of  evil,  even 
after  he  is  renewed  by  the  grace  of  God.  Every  Chris- 
tian needs  daily  repentance,  because  he  sins  daily,  not 
indeed  by  daily  perpetrating  flagrant  crimes,  but  by  fall- 
ing short  of  perfect  obedience.  Hence  there  is  not  a 
just  man  upon  earth,  because  even  in  actions  that  are 
good  in  themselves,  there  is  precisely  so  much  sin  as 
there  is  repugnance,  or  difficulty,  or  want  of  cheerful- 
ness in  the  will.  He  owns,  that  divines  were  accustom- 
ed to  evade  the  positive  testimony  of  such  passages  of 
Scripture,  as,  "  There  is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth,  who 
doeth  good  and  sinneth  not;"  but,  says  he,  let  us  listen  to 
St.  Paul,  "  The  good  that  I  would,  I  do  not;  but  the  evil 
which  I  would  not,  that  I  do."  And  again:  "I  delight 
in  the  law  of  God  after  the  inward  man,  but  I  see  ano- 
ther law  in  my  members  warring  against  the  law  of  my 
mind.     Let  human   reasoning  and    human    authority, 

*  This  word,  though  not  a  very  common  one,  has  been  thought,  by  excel- 
>cnt  divines,  to  express  St.  Paul's  meaning  In  Romans  vii.  verse  30,  better  than 
iiiy  other. .  .  .     "Sin  that  dwcileth  in  me." 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  2^^ 

whether  of  the  churcli  or  of  councils,  give  place  and 
submit:  If  an  angel  from  heaven  should  teach  the  con- 
trary, I  would  not  believe  him.^' 

If,  continues  Luther,  the  evil  principle,  called  the 
ilesh,  prevented  the  operation  of  the  good  principle,  call- 
ed the  spirit,  in  a  man  so  holy  and  full  of  grace,  as  the 
apostle  Paul,  how  can  our  theologians  maintain  that  there 
is  no  sin  in  good  works?  "  It  is  not,""  say  they,  " sin;,  it 
is  defect,  it  is  infirmity." — This  is  an  unscriptural  and  a 
dangerous  way  of  speaking.  In  fact,  every  Christian 
feels  a  continual  conflict  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit 
as  long  as  he  lives;  and  therefore  in  the  very  best  actions 
there  is,  in  this  world,  a  mixture  of  the  etTects  of  the 
flesh:  but  it  is  not  so  in  heaven.  Wherefore,  what  know- 
ledge other  persons  may  have  derived  from  the  scholastic 
divinity  of  the  times,  it  is  for  them  to  consider:  In  regard 
to  myself,  I  am  sure  I  learnt  from  it  nothing  of  the  real 
nature  of  sin,  of  righteousness,  of  baptism,  or  of  the 
whole  Christian  life;  nor  any  thing  of  the  excellency  of 
God  or  his  works,  his  grace,  his  justice.  Faith,  hope, 
charity,  were  to  me  words  without  meaning.  In  short, 
I  not  only  learnt  nothing  right;  but  I  had  to  unlearn 
every  thing  which  I  had  acquired  in  that  way.  I  shall 
be  much  surprised  if  others  have  succeeded  better;  but 
should  there  be  any  such,  I  sincerely  congratulate  them. 
In  the  schools  I  lost  Jesus  Christ,  I  have  now  found  him 
in  St.  Paul. 

"  Search  the  Scriptures,''  is  the  precept,  which  of  all 
others  seems  to  have  most  deeply  impressed  the  anxious, 
inquisitive  mind  of  Luther.  And  further,  in  his  inqui- 
ries, he  never  forgot  that  he  himself  was  personally  inte- 
rested in  the  great  truths  of  revealed  religion.  He  stu- 
died the  Bitile,  not  through  curiosity,  or  the  love  of  fame. 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

but  from  a  sense  of  the  importance  of  its  contents,  and 
of  his  own  dangerous  situation.  How  little  have  those 
understood  the  real  character  of  this  reformer,  who  have 
looked  on  him  as  a  turbulent,  ambitious  innovator,  im- 
pelled by  selfish  and  worldly  motives.  Nothing  can  be 
iT)ore  affecting  than  the  following  account,  which  he  him- 
self gives  of  his  own  internal  troubles.  "  However 
blameless  a  life  I  might  lead  as  a  monk,  I  experienced 
a  most  unquiet  conscience;  I  perceived  myself  a  sinner 
before  God;  I  saw  that  I  could  do  nothing  to  appease 
him,  and  I  hated  the  idea  of  a  just  God  that  punishes 
sinners.  I  was  well  versed  in  all  St.  Paul's  writings; 
and,  in  particular,  I  had  a  most  wonderful  desire  to  un- 
derstand the  epistle  to  the  Romans.  But  I  was  puzzled 
with  the  expression,  "  therein  is  the  righteousness  of  God 
revealed."  My  heart  rose  almost  against  God  with  a 
silent  sort  of  blasphemy:  At  least  in  secret  I  said  with 
great  murmur  and  indignation.  Was  it  not  enough  that 
wretched  man,  already  eternally  ruined  by  the  curse  of 
original  depravity,  should  be  oppressed  with  every  spe- 
cies of  misery  through  the  condemning  power  of  the 
commandment,  but  that,  even  through  the  gospel,  God 
should  threaten  us  with  his  anger  and  justice,  and  there- 
by add  affliction  to  affliction.''  Thus  I  raged  with  a 
troubled  conscience.  Over  and  over  I  turned  the  above- 
mentioned  passage  to  the  Romans  most  importunately. 
My  thirst  to  know  the  apostle's  meaning  was  insatiable. 

"  At  length,  while  I  was  meditating  day  and  night  on 
the  words,  and  their  connexion  with  what  immediately 
follows,  namely,  '  the  just  shall  live  by  faith,'  it  pleased 
God  to  have  pity  upon  me,  to  open  mine  eyes,  and  to 
show  me,  that  the  righteousness  of  God,  which  is  here 
said  in  the  gospel  to  be  revealed  from  faith  ^o  faith,  re- 


Cent.  16.-\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  271 

lates  to  the  method  by  which  God,  in  his  mercy,  justifies  a 
sinner  through  faith,  agreeably  to  what  is  written,  '  the 
just  shall  live  by  faith.'  Hence  I  felt  myself  a  new  man, 
and  all  tiie  Scriptures  appeared  to  have  a  new  face.  I 
ran  quickly  through  them  as  my  memory  enabled  me;  I 
collected  together  the  leading  terms;  and  I  observed,  in 
their  meaning,  a  strict  analogy,  according  to  my  new 
views.  Thus,  in  many  instances,  the  ivork  of  God, 
means  that  which  he  works  in  us;  and  the  power,  and 
wisdom  of  God,  mean  the  power  and  wisdom,  which  his 
Spirit  operates  in  the  minds  of  the  faithful;  and  in  the 
same  manner  are  to  be  understood  the  patience,  the  sal- 
vation, the  glory,  of  God. 

"The  expression,  ' lighteousness  of  God,'  now  became 
as  sweet  to  my  mind  as  it  had  been  hateful  before;  and 
this  very  passage  of  St.  Paul  proved  to  me  the  entrance 
into  paradise."* 

The  publications  of  Luther  were  circulated  through- 
out Germany,  and  were  read  with  the  greatest  avidity  by 
all  ranks  and  orders.  Eckius  and  other  advocates  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  cause  answered  the  heretic  with  great 
heat  and  indignation.  Luther  replied  with  the  prompti- 
tude and  precision,  and  also  with  the  zeal  and  confi- 
dence, of  a  man  who  was  perfectly  master  of  the  argu- 
ments on  both  sides  of  the  questions  in  dispute,  felt 
deeply  interested  in  the  establishment  of  truth,  and  had 
thoroughly  examined  the  foundations  of  his  opposition  to 
the  prevailing  corruptions.  By  these  means  the  discus- 
sions at  Leipsic  were  detailed  with  minuteness,  and  con- 
tinued with  spirit;  they  every  where  became  topics  of 
common  conversation;  and,  as  Luther  constantly  appealed 
to  plain  sense,  and  the  written  word  of  God,  the  scholas- 

*  lAith.  Op.  prsf.  Vol.  t 


2^2  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  4. 

tic  subtilties  of  Eckiiis  lost  thtjir  weight  and  reputation 
among  the  people.  It  is  not  difficult  to  see,  that  the  ad- 
vantages, which,  in  this  way,  the  cause  of  the  reforma- 
tion derived  from  the  public  contest  at  Leipsic,  and  its 
consequences,  must  have  been  very  considerable. 

Among  others,  the  elector  of  Saxony  became  more  fa- 
vourably disposed  towards  Luther:  and  Melancthon,  then 
twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  already  distinguished  for 
his  learning  and  skill,  was  effectually  convinced,  inso- 
much that  he  devoted  his  attention  to  theology,  and  be- 
came the  most  powerful  coadjutor  of  Luthef . 

The  pope's  nuncio  made  several  attempts  to  get  Lu- 
ther in  his  power,  but  without  effect.  "  Charles  Mil- 
titz,"  said  he,  "  is  so  ridiculous,  that  he  would  have  me 
go  10  Coblentz,  and  defend  myself  before  the  archbishop, 
elector  of  Treves,  in  the  presence  of  cardinal  Cajetan; 
and  yet  this  pleasant  man  owns,  that  he  has  received  no 
precept  from  Rome  concerning  the  matter.  Every  where, 
from  all  quarters,  and  by  any  method,  I  perceive,  my  life 
is  sought!  !  1'-* 

Towards  the  end  of  this  same  year,  1519,  Luther  began 
to  preach  on  the  propriety  of  administering  to  the  laity 
the  communion  in  both  kinds.  This  step  gave  great  of- 
fence to  George,  duke  of  Saxony,  who  complained  to  his 
nephew,  the  elector,  of  the  violent  proceedings  of  the 
Wittemberg  theologian. 

The  elector  replied  with  his  usual  caution;  but  pru- 
dential lessons  did  not  suit  the  temper  of  Luther.  "I 
am  oppressed,"  says  he,  "with  a  multitude  of  concerns; 
and  I  heartily  wish  I  could  be  relieved  from  the  duty  of 
teaching  and  reading  lectures.  Nothing  could  be  more 
agreeable  to  me  than  to  be  loosed  fi'om  this  employment 

*  Luth.  Epist.  HO  and  HI.  Lib.  I. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  073 

But  if  I  am  to  continue  a  teacher,  I  cannot  comprehend 
the  notion  oi"  yourself,  my  Spalatinus,  and  of  the  friends 
you  mention,  namely,  tliat  sacred  theology  may  be  taught 
without  giving  oifencc  to  the  pontilFs.  The  Scriptures 
themselves,  in  the  most  explicit  manner,  lay  open  men's 
abuses  of  the  Scriptures,  which  abuses  the  pontilfs  can- 
not bear  to  have  mentioned.  I  have  given  up  myself  to 
this  work  hi  the  name  of  the  Lord.  May  his  will  be 
done!  The  cause  is  that  of  mankind  in  general;  let  us, 
in  faith  and  prayer,  commit  the  event  to  God  and  we 
shall  be  safe.  For  what  can  our  adversaries  do.^  Will 
they  murder  us?  They  cannot  do  that  twice.  Will 
they  asperse  us  as  heretics.'^  Was  not  Christ  himself 
treated  as  a  malefactor.''  When  I  contemplate  Ids  suf- 
ferings, I  blush  for  shame  to  think  that  my  trials  should 
be  thought  so  considerable,  when  in  reality  they  are  no- 
thing; and  so  we  should  reckon  such  trials,  had  we  right 
views  of  mortification,  of  self-denial,  and,  in  a  word,  of 
the  Christian  cross,  to  which  in  our  days  we  are  perfect 
strangers.  Cease  then  your  attempts  to  divert  me  from 
my  purpose.  My  enemies  may  rage,  but  I  shall  smile  in 
security.  I  am  determined  to  abide  the  event,  and  not 
to  give  way  to  any  unbecoming  fears.  I  should,  indeed, 
be  sorry  to  involve  the  prince  in  my  concerns;  otherwise, 
at  this  moment  the  uoild  should  see  a  very  explicit  pub- 
lication of  my  sentiments,  a  publication,  which  though  it 
might  still  more  provoke  the  Junes,  would  at  the  same 
time  expose  their  folly." 

In,  much  the  same  spirit  of  determined  resolution  and 
of  confidence  in  the  justice  of  his  cause,  he  wrote  to  the 
new  emperor  Charles  V.  imploring,  however,  in  modest 
and  submissive  terms,  the  assistance  atid  protection  "of 
so  great  a  prince."     ''Nothing,"  he  said,  "was  nearer 

Vor.  If.  -2^1 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE  lamp.  4. 

his  heart,  than  that  he  might  he  permitted  to  discharge 
his  duty  quietly  in  his  own  httle  sphere.  The  violent 
and  deceitful  practices  of  others  had  compelled  him  to 
appear  in  public;  but  the  very  best  men  living,  as  well  as 
his  own  conscience,  would  witness,  that  his  sole  object 
was,  the  propagation  of  evangelical  truth,  in  opposition 
to  the  superstitions  of  human  tradition.  For  this  cause,'^ 
continues  he,  "during  almost  three  years  I  haVebeen  per- 
secuted in  every  way  that  my  enemies  could  invent.  In 
vain  have  I  proposed  terms  of  peace,  in  vain  have  I  offer- 
ed to  be  silent,  in  vain  have  I  begged  for  information 
and  correction  of  my  errors.  After  having  tried  all  me- 
thods without  success,  I  have  judged  it  advisable  to  fol- 
low the  example  of  St.  Athanasius,  in  applying  to  your 
imperial  majesty,  if  so  be  it  may  please  God  in  that  way 
to  protect  his  own  cause.  I  humbly  therefore  beseech 
your  most  serene  majesty,  that  as  you  bear  the  sword  for 
the  praise  of  the  good  and  the  punishment  of  the  bad, 
you  would  deign  to  take  under  the  shadow  of  your  wings 
the  cause  of  truth;  and  as  to  myself,  I  crave  your  sup- 
port not  one  moment  longer  than  while  I  shall  appear  to 
have  reason  on  my  side.  Abandon  me  the  instant  I  am 
found  impious  or  heretical.  All  I  beg  is,  that  my  doc- 
trines, whether  true  or  false,-  may  not  be  condemned  un- 
heard and  without  examination.  If  your  most  sacred  ma- 
jesty, by  your  interposition,  should  prevent  the  exercise 
of  tyrannical  power,  such  a  conduct  would  be  worthy  of 
your,  royal  and  imperial  throne,  would  adorn  your  go- 
vernment, and  consecrate  to  posterity  the  age  in  which 
you  live."* 

His  celebrated  letter  to  the  pontiff  Leo  X.  in  the  year 
1520,  and  his  treatise  on  Christian  Liberty,  were  the  ef- 

*  Epistol,  Luth.  ad  Carol.  V. 


ant.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  27.0 

feet  of  the  last  effort  of  Cliarles  Miltitz,  to  produce  a  re- 
conciliation between  the  reformer  and  the  court  of  Rome. 
As  Luther  was  an  ecclesiastic  of  the  Au2;ustine  order, 
Miltitz  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  fathers  of  that  fra- 
ternity to  depute,  from  tiieir  general  assembly,  then  held 
in  Saxony,  some  persons  who  should  persuade  their  re- 
fractory brother  to  desist  from  his  opposition  to  the  law- 
ful commands  of  his  superiors.  This  measure  was  tried; 
and  Luther  received  the  deputation  with  the  most  kind 
and  dutiful  attention;  and  very  soon  afterwards  he  had  a 
friendly  conference  with  Miltitz  himself  A  distinct  ac- 
count of  this  part  of  the  negotiation  of  the  pope's  nuncio 
is  contained  in  the  following  letter  of  Luther  to  Spalati- 
nus;*  and  it  is  the  more  expedient  that  we  should  have 
recourse  to  this  authentic  document,  because  the  whole 
affair  has  been  miserably  misrepresented  by  papal  wri- 
ters, and  particularly  by  Maimbourgj  who  compares  Lu- 
ther to  the  traitor  Judas,  and  Augustiiiian  fathers  to  the 
holy  apostles.  "Miltitz  and  myself/'  says  Lutiier,  "met 
at  Litchtemberg;  and  we  have  agreed  upon  the  following 
terms, — from  which  Iw  entertains  the  most  sanguine 
hopes.  I  am  to  print  and  publish  some  little  tract,  and 
preface  it  with  a  letter  to  the  pontiff.  That  letter  is  to 
contain  a  narrative  of  my  proceedings,  and  an  assurance 
that  I  never  intended  any  personal  affront  to  his  holiness; 
at  the  same  time  I  am  allowed  to  lay  a  heavy  load  of 
blame  upon  Eckius.  As  this  plan  is  founded  in  the  most 
perfect  truth,  it  is  impossible  that  I  should  have  the  small- 
est objection  to  it.  In  the  most  submissive  manner,  I 
mean  to  propose  silence  on  both  sides;  in  order  that  no- 
thing of  a  conciliatory  nature  may  be  omitted  on  rny  part. 
I  need  not  tell  you,  that  it  has  always  been  my  wish  to 

*  Lib.  i.Ep.  111.  f  Maimbourg-,  in  Seek.  p.  94. 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE  'iCIiap.  4. 

bring  about  peace.  I  shall  have  every  thing  ready  in  a 
few  days.  II"  the  event  should  answer  our  hopes,  all  will 
be  well;  but  if  it  should  not,  I  have  still  no  doubt,  that 
good  will  be  the  consequence.'* 

This  is  evidently  the  language  of  a  man,  who  was  not 
very  anxious  concerning  the  success  of  the  project  in 
contemplation. 

Early  in  the  year  1520,  he  writes  to  Spalatinus  thus; 
"I  am  extremely  distressed  in  my  mind.     I  have  not 
much  doubt  hut  the  pope  is  the  teal  Antichrist.     The 
Jives  and  conversation 'of  the  popes,  their  actions,  their 
decrees,  all  agree  most  wonderfully  to  the  descriptions  of 
him  in  Holy  Writ."     It  is  to  these  views  of  the  true  na- 
ture of  the  papacy, — which  were  every  day  becoming 
clearer  in  Luther's  mind, — that  we  are  to  ascribe  that 
species  of  indilTerence  with  which  he  looked  to  the  ter- 
mination of  the  present  negotiation.     The  man,  who  was 
almost  convinced  of  the  antic hristian  character  of  the 
whole  Romish  system,  could  feel  no  great  anxiety  to  ob- 
tain the  approbation  of  the  sovereign  pontiff.     With  a 
truly  Christian  spirit  he  seems  to  have  resigned  the  event 
to  the  Divine  disposal,  and  to  have  cherished  a  full  per- 
suasion in  his  own  mind,  that  some  great  good  to  the 
Church  of  God  would  result  from  the  step,  which  he  was 
about  to  take.     If  the  court  of  Rome  should  adopt  pru- 
dent and  temperate  counsels,  a  reformation  of  abuses 
and  a  revival  of  pure  religion  might  still  take  place  under 
the  established  hierarchy;  and  if  they  continued  to  turn  a 
deaf  ear  to  entreaty,  advice,  and  remonstrance,  such  pre- 
sumption and  arrogance  would  more  strongly  mark  the 
features  of  Antichrist,  and  hasten  his  downfall. 


Cent.ier\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST  211 

CHAPTER  V. 

Pope's  liuU. — Conduct  of  Frederick. — Lnlher's  Condiirf. 

While  Leo  was  consulting,  Luther  was  writing.  At 
length,  after  the  court  of  Rome  bad  hesitated  almost 
three  years,  during  all  which  time  the  ivord  of  God  had 
grown  and.  multiplied,  it  was  on  the  fifteenth  of  June,  one 
thousand  five  hundred  and  twenty,  that  Leo  X.  published 
that  famous  damnatory  bull  against  Luther,  which  in  the 
event  proved  so  fatal  to  the  established  hierarchy.  Forty- 
one  propositions  extracted  out  of  Luther's  works  are 
therein  condemned  as  heretical,  scandalous  and  oflensive 
to  pious  ears;  all  persons  are  forbidden  to  read  his  wri- 
tingSj  upon  pain  of  excommunication;  such  as  had  any  of 
them  in  their  custody,  are  commanded  to  burn  them;  and 
he  himself,  if  he  did  not,  within  sixty  days  send  or  bring 
his  retractation  in  form  to  Rome,  is  pronounced  an  ob- 
stinate heretic,  is  excommunicated,  and  delivered  unto 
Satan  for  the  destruction  of  his  flesh;  and  all  secular 
princes  are  required,  under  pain  of  incurring  the  same 
censures,  and  of  forfeiting  all  their  dignities,  to  seize  his 
person,  that  he  might  be  punished  as  his  crimes  de- 
served.* 

There  was  a  time  when  the  most  powerful  monarchs 
would  have  trembled  at  such  a  sentence.  That  time 
was  now  elapsed;  and  though  Eckius  and  his  party  tri- 
umphed, as  if  by  one  decisive  blow  they  had  at  length 
annihilated  Lutheranism,  the  more  judicious  and  dispas- 
sionate part  of  mankind  beheld  this  rash  step  of  the  Ro- 

*  Luth.  Op.  II.  Wit.    Parlavic.  27. 


278  IIISTOIIY  OF  THE  [^Chap.  5. 

man  court  as  the  certain  prognostic  of  increased  tumults 
and  distractions. 

Spalatiuus  lias  informed  us  how  httle  intimidated  or 
disconcerted  he  found  his  friend  Luther  to  be  on  the  ar- 
rival of  the  bull;  but,  it  should  seem,  that  some  weeks 
before  their  interview,  Luther  knew  the  long-expected 
event  had  actually  taken  place.  We  collect  this  from 
one  of  his  letters  to  Spalatinus,  dated  October  the  thir- 
teenth, 15:20;  an  extract  of  which  we  shall  lay  before  the 
reader,  who  will,  doubtless,  be  gratified  to  see  his  very 
first  thoughts  and  resolutions  on  this  memorable  occasion. 
"At  last  the  Roman  bull  is  come:  and  Eckius  is  the 
bearer  of  it.  I  treat  it  with  contempt.  I  consider  it  in 
all  respects  as  a  machination  of  Eckius,  and  I  attack  it 
as  impious  and  false.  You  see,  that  the  express  doc- 
trines of  Christ  himself  are  here  condemned;  no  cause 
assigned  why  I  should  be  deemed  a  heretic;  and,  lastly, 
I  am  called,  not  to  a  hearing,  but  to  a  retractation.  I 
shall,  however,  as  yet,  not  seem  to  know  that  it  is  a  papal 
bull,  but  treat  it  as  a  fiction  and  forgery.  Oh!  how  I 
wish  that  the  emperor  Charles  V.  would  act  like  a  man; 
and  in  behalf  of  Christ  oppose  the  emissaries  of  Satan. 
On  my  own  account  I  have  no  fear.  Let  the  will  of  the 
Lord  be  done.  Neither  do  I  see  what  steps  the  prince 
should  take;  perhaps,  a  silent  connivance  is  his  truest 
wisdom.  Every  where,  even  at  Leipsic,  I  understand 
that  both  the  bull  and  Eckius  are  extremely  despised;  so 
that  I  almost  suspect  it  will,  of  itself,  come  to  nothing,  if 
we  ourselves  do  not  procure  it  importance,  by  discover- 
ing too  great  an  anxiety.  I  send  you  a  true  copy  of  the 
bull,  that  you  may  see  what  these  Romans  are.  If  they 
prevail,  there  is  an  end  of  the  church,  and  of  the  faith 
of  the  Gospel.     From  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  rejoice 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  279 

that  I  suffer  this  persecution  in  the  best  of  causes;  though 
I  am  not  worthy  to  undergo  tribulation  in  so  holy  a  con- 
flict. I  feel  myself  now  more  at  liberty,  being  assured 
that  the  popedom  is  antichristian  and  the  seat  of  Satan. 
My  only  prayer  is,  that  God  may  preserve  his  own  peo- 
ple from  the  impious  seductions  of  Romish  adherents. 
Erasmus  writes,  that  the  emperor's  court  overflows  with 
beggars  and  dependants,  all  disposed  to  promote  tyranni- 
cal principles,  so  tliat  there  is  no  hope  in  Charles.  No 
wonder!  Trust  not  in  princes,  or  in  any  child  of  man, 
for  there  is  no  help  in  them."* 

An  emissary  of  the  Pope  demanded  of  the  elector  of 
Saxony:  1.  That  he  would  cause  all  Luther's  books  to 
be  burnt;  and,  2.  That  he  would  either  put  the  author 
of  them  to  death,  or  imprison  him  till  he  should  be  sent 
to  Rome. 

Frederick,  after  due  consideration,  and  by  the  advice 
of  his  privy  counsellors,  replied  with  great  prudence, 
firmness,  and  spirit.  He  expressed  much  surprise,  that 
after  the  many  proofs  he  had  given  of  piety  and  obedi- 
ence, the  pope  should  make  such  extraordinary  demands. 

He  besought  that  the  business  might  be  committed  to 
learned,  pious,  impartial,  and  disinterested  judges,  who 
might  meet  in  a  convenient  place,  and  have  the  parties 
before  them,  with  the  public  faith  pledged  for  their  safety. 
"Whenever,"  he  continued,  "this  supposed  heretic  shall 
have  been  convicted  by  solid  Scriptural  arguments,  the 
Elector  of  Saxony  will  be  the  last  person  to  protect  him; 
and  I  must  believe  that  even  then  His  Holiness  will  not 
require  me  to  do  any  thing  dishonourable." 

Erasmus  continued  to  act  with  his  usual  caution,  but 
when  Frederick  pressed  him  for  his  opinion,  he  said  iro- 

*  Seek.  IM. 


2S0  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.S. 

nically,  "Luther  has  committed  two  great  faults:  he  has 
touched  the  pope  on  the  crown,  and  the  monks  on  the 
belly."  The  elector  smiled;  and  was  so  much  impressed 
with  the  sarcastic  observation,  that  he  inentioned  it  a  lit- 
tle before  his  death.  Erasmus  then  subjoined,  with  great 
seriousness,  '^  that  Luther  was  just  in  his  animadversions 
on  the  ecclesiastical  abuses;  that  a  reformation  of  the 
church  was  become  absolutely  necessary;  that  the  re- 
foiHiier's  doctrine  was  true  in  the  main;  but  that  there 
was  a  w'ant  of  mildness  in  his  manner." 

The  legates  of  the  pope,  in  their  turn,  are  said  to  have 
plied  Erasmus  closely  with  the  offer  of  a  rich  bishopric, 
if  he  would  undertake  to  write  against  Luther;  but  he 
answered  them:  "Luther  is  too  great  a  man  for  me  to 
encounter.  I  do  not  even  always  understand  him.  Hovv- 
evfer,  to  speak  plainly,  he  is  so  extraordinary  a  man,  that 
1  learn  more  from  a  single  page  in  his  books,  than  from 
all  the  wn'itings  of  Thomas  Aquinais." — Such  was  the  re- 
putation of  Luther  for  profound  knowledge  in  divinity. 

From  little  anecdotes  of  this  kind  we  often  learn  more 
of  the  real  judgment  of  mankind  concerning  extraordi- 
nary characters,  than  from  long  historical  details. 

For  example:  Count  Nassau,  governor  of  Fianders, 
Brabant  and  Holland,  exhorted  the  divines  at  the  Hague 
in  the  following  manner:  "Go  and  preach  the  Gospel  in 
simplicity  and  truth,  as  Luther  does;  and  you  will  otfend 
nobody,  nor  suffer  any  molestation." 

Again:  The  Academicians  of  Louvain  complained  to 
Margaret,  the  emperor's  sister,  governess  of  the  Nether- 
lands, that  Luther,  by  his  writings  was  subverting  Chris- 
tianity. Who  Js  this  Luther.^  said  she.  They  replied, 
He  is  an  illiterate  monk.  Is  he  so.^  said  she:  then  do 
you,  who  are  very  learned  and  numerous,  write  against 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  281 

this  illiterate  monk;  and  surely  the  world  will  pay  more 
regard  to  many  scholars,  than  to  one  ignoramus. 

Another  instance:  At  the  emperor's  table,  mention 
being  made  of  Luther,  Uavcnstein  said,-  "Here  is  one 
Christian  arisen  among  us,  at  last,  after  four  hundred 
years;  and  tiie  pope  wishes  to  kill  him.  Our  teachers  at 
Louvain,  by  dint  of  bribes,  obtained  the  burning  of  Lu- 
ther's books.  The  pile  was  kindled,  and  great  was  the 
concourse  of  the  students  and  others  around  it.  But 
what  books,  think  ye,  did  they  bring?  Not  those  of 
Martin;  but  a  great  deal  of  monkish  trash,  was  commit- 
ted to  the  flames."* 

The  active  mind  of  Luther  was  not  a  moment  idle. 
He  appealed  from  the  pope's  bull  to  a  general  council. 
He  wrote  several  tracts  which  were  widely  circulated 
and  read  with  the  greatest  avidity.  In  these  he  laid  open 
the  corruptions  of  the  papacy,  showing  Rome  to  be  the 
Babylon  predicted  in  scripture,  and  calling  on  all  to  study 
the  Scriptures.  "The  primitive  church,"  says  he,  "act- 
ed thus:  she  must  have  acted  so;  for  she  had  seen  no 
writings  of  the  fathers.  The  Scripture  is  its  own  inter- 
preter, trying,  judging,  and  illustrating  all  things.  If  it 
be  not  so,  why  do  Augustine  and  other  holy  fathers  ap- 
peal to  the  Scripture  as  the  first  principles  of  truth,  and 
confirm  their  own  assertions  by  its  authority.-^  Why  do 
we  perversely  interpret  the  Scriptures,  not  by  themselves, 
but  by  human  glosses,  contrary  to  the  example  of  all  fa- 
thers? If  these  fashionable  modes  of  exposition  be  right, 
we  had  better  at  once  admit,  that  the  writings  of  the  fa- 
thers are  more  perspicuoiis  than  the  Scriptures.  Again: 
If  this  be  the  case,  the  fathers  themselves  acted  very  ab- 
surdly, when  they  undertook  to  prove  their  own  writings 

*  Ex.  Libell.  in  Biblioth.  Paul.  Lips.  per.  Seek. 
Vol..  If.  ^  N 


2S2  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

by  the  authority  of  Scripture;  and  it  will  follow,  that  we 
ought  to  pay  more  regard  to  expositors  than  to  the  word 
of  God.  The  Apostles  themselves  proved  their  asser- 
tions by  the  Scriptiu'es;  yet  they  surely  had  more  right 
to  plead  their  own  authority  than  any  of  the  fathers  had. 
Let  the  fathers  be  allowed  to  have  been  holy  men;  still, 
they  were  only  men,  and  men  inferior  to  apostles  and 
prophets:  let  them  however  be  an  example  to  us;  and,  as 
they  in  their  time  laboured  in  the  word  of  God,  so  let  us 
in  our  days  do  the  same.  There  is  one  vineyard,  and 
there  are  labourers  employed  at  different  hours.  It  is 
enough  that  we  have  learned  from  the  fathers  the  duty 
of  studying,  and  diligently  labouring  in  the  Scriptures;  it 
is  not  necessary  that  we  should  approve  of  all  their  works. 
There  are  seasons,  when  the  diligence  of  many  does  not 
afford  what  a  critical  opportunity  alone  gives  to  one, — 
provided  that  that  opportunity  be  connected  with  the  in- 
comprehensible energy  of  the  Holy  Spirit." 

Sentiments  like  these  had  scarcely,  for  many  ages, 
been  whispered  in  the  Christian  world.  Even  the  best 
and  wisest  of  men  had  long  been  accustomed  to  lay  an 
undue  stress  on  human  authority;  and,  in  many  instances, 
the  most  unwarrantable  tenets  had  rested  on  the  credit 
of  real  or  pretended  fathers. 

"I  own,^^  said  he  to  Spalatinus,  "that  I  am  more  ve- 
hement than  I  ought  to  be:  I  have  to  do  with  men  who 
blaspheme  evangelical  truth;  with  wolves;  with  those, 
who  condemn  me  unheard,  without  admonishing,  without 
instructing  me;  and  who  utter  the  most  atrocious  slan- 
ders against  myself  and  the  word  of  God:  even  the  most 
senseless  spirit  might  be  moved  to  resistance  by  their  un- 
reasonable conduct;  much  more  I,  who  am  choleric  by 
nature,  am  possessed  of  very  irritable  feelings,  and  of  a 


Gent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  28S 

temper  easily  apt  to  exceed  the  bounds  of  moderation. 
I  cannot  however  but  be  surprised,  whence  this  novel 
taste  arose,  to  call  every  thing  spoken  against  an  adver- 
sary, abusive  language.  What  think  ye  of  Christ.''  Was 
he  a  reviler,  when  he  calls  the  Jews  an  adulterous  and 
perverse  generation,  a  progeny  of  vipers,  hypocrites,  the 
children  of  the  devil?  What  think  ye  of  Paul,  who  calls 
the  enemies  of  the  Gospel,  dogs,  and  seducers;  who,  in 
the  thirteenth  chapter  of  the  Acts,  inveighs  against  a 
false  prophet  in  this  manner:  '  0  full  of  all  subtilty  and 
all  malice,  thou  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all 
righteousness.'  Why  does  not  Paul  gently  sooth  the  im- 
postor, rather  than  thunder  at  this  rate.-^  A  mind  con- 
scious of  truth  cannot  with  easy  indifference  endure  the 
obstinate  enemies  of  truth. — I  see  that  all  persons  de- 
mand of  me  moderation,  and  especially  those  of  my  ad- 
versaries who  least  of  all  exhibit  it.  If  I  am  too  warm, 
I  am  yet  frank  and  open;  in  which  point  I  think  that  I 
excel  those,  who  always  act  with  artifice  and  guile."* 

Again,  in  a  dedication  to  the  elector,  of  one  of  his 
Commentaries  on  a  portion  of  the  Gospels,  he  freely 
acknowledges,  that  he  had  not  obeyed  that  prince's  ad- 
monitions to  avoid  all  acrimony  in  his  controversies. 

When  Luther,  by  his  publications,  had  opened  men's 
eyes  to  the  impiety  and  injustice  of  the  sentence  of  the 
Roman  court,  he  proceeded  to  perform  one  of  the  bold- 
est actions  recorded  in  history.  He  was  convinced  that 
his  appeal  to  a  general  council  would  be  disregarded  by 
the  pope  and  his  cardinals;  and  he  foresaw,  that  if  he  did 
not  soon  r6cant  his  heresies,  the  thunder  of  actual  ex- 
communication would  be  levelled  against  the  man  who 
had  so  long  been  the  object  of  ecclesiastical  indignation. 

•  Lib.  I.  Ep. 


084  HISTORY  OF  THE  iCIuqi.  5, 

He  determined  therefore  to  separate  himself  from  the 
communion  of  the  church  of  Rome:  and  as  Leo,  in  the 
execution  of  the  bull,  had  appointed  Luther's  books  to 
be  burnt,  he,  by  way  of  retaliation,  erected  an  immense 
pile  of  wood  without  the  walls  of  Wittemberg,  and  there, 
in  the  presence  of  the  professors  and  students  of  the  uni- 
versity, and  of  a  vast  multitude  of  spectators,  committed 
to  the  flames  the  papal  bull  of  his  excommunication,  to- 
gether with  the  volumes  of  the  decretals  and  canon  law 
which  relate  to  the  pontifical  jurisdiction.     It  has  been 
thought  probable  that  Luther  was  directed  in  this  spirit- 
ed measure  by  persons  well  skilled  in  the  law.     For  by 
thus  voluntarily  withdrawing  himself  in  a  public  manner 
from  the  Romish  church,  it  was  supposed  he  had  eluded 
and  rendered  insignificant  any  further  exercises  of  papal 
authority  against   his  person.     The  nian   was  now   no 
longer  a  subject  of  the  pontiff,  and  therefore  it  must  be 
deemed   superfluous  and  absurd  to  eject  him  by  force 
from  an  ecclesiastical  community  of  which  he  had  ceased 
to  be  a  member.* 

To  convince  mankind  that  the  measure  which  he  had 
just  executed  with  so  much  firmness  and  intrepidity,  was 
not  a  hasty  thought,  or  the  ebullition  of  a  sudden  gust  of 
passion,  he  immediately  selected  thirty  arlidcs  from  the 
code  of  papal  laws,  as  a  specimen  of  the  iniquitous  con- 
tents of  the  books  which  he  had  just  consumed.  Upon 
these  he  vi'rote  concise  and  pointed  remarks;  he  then 
printed  the  whole,  and  circulated  the  little  tract  among 
the  people,  calling  upon  them  in  the  most  animated  strains 
to  exercise  their  own  judgments  in  matters  of  such  vast 
importance.  "  Let  no  man's  good  sense,"  said  he,  "  be 
so  far  seduced  as  to  reverence  the  volumes  which  I  have 

*  Moshelm. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  285 

burnt,  on  account  of  their  great  antiquity  or  tlieir  high 
titles.  Let  every  one  first  hear  and  see  what  the  pope 
teaches  in  his  own  books,  and  what  abominable,  poison- 
ous doctrines,  are  to  be  tbund  among  the  sacred,  spiritual 
laws;  and  then  let  him  freely  judge  whether  I  have  done 
right  or  not  in  burning  such  writings." 

The  two  last  of  the  articles  selected  by  Luther  were 
as  follows: 

Art.  29.  The  pope  has  the  power  to  interpret  Scrip- 
ture, and  to  teach  as  he  pleases;  and  no  person  is  allowed 
to  interpret  in  a  different  way. 

Art.  30.  The  pope  does  not  derive  from  the  Scripture, 
but  the  Scripture  derives  from  the  pope,  authority,  power, 
and  dignity. 

Luther  then  affirms,  that,  comparing  together  the  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  canon  law,  its  language  amounts  to  no 
less  than  this;  "That  the  pope  is  God  on  earth;  above 
all  that  is  earthly  or  heavenly,  temporal  or  spiritual;  That 
all  things  belong  to  the  pope;  and.  That  no  one  must 
venture  to  say.  What  doest  thou?" 

The  established  character  of  Frederick  the  Wise,  as  the 
elector  of  Saxony  was  called,  made  him  so  much  more 
respected  than  the  profane  and  prodigal  pope  of  Rome, 
that  he  was  well  qualified  to  afford  Luther  efficient 
protection.  Moreover,  Frederick  had  generously  re- 
signed the  empire  when  it  was  offered  to  him,  and  thus 
prepared  the  way  for  the  elevation  of  Charles,  so  that 
the  emperor  was  under  great  obligation  to  him. 

Charles  having  ordered  an  imperial  Diet  to  assemble 
at  Worms,  in  January,  1521,  deferred  all  severities 
against  Luther  until  that  time;  though  urged  by  the 
pope's  nuncio  to  immediate  persecution.  At  that  diet 
the  pope's  legates  pressed  hard  for  an  immediate  edict 


2S6  HibTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5, 

of  condemnation  against  the  man  who  had  so  long  dis- 
turbed the  peace  of  the  Church,  and  who,  for  more  than 
six  months,  had  been  under  actual  sentence  of  excom- 
munication, as  an  incorrigible  heretic. 

But  the  members  of  the  diet  openly  withstood  the 
pope's  advocates,  in  their  attempts  to  procure  Luther's 
condemnation  without  deliberation  or  inquiry.  Such  a 
proceeding  they  considered  as  inconsistent  with  justice, 
and  unauthorized  by  precedent.  Moreover,  the  emperor 
himself  admonished  the  principal  nuncio,  Aleander,  that 
it  behoved  him  to  explain  to  the  Diet  some  just  and 
weighty  causes  of  Luther's  excommunication;  causes  too, 
which  should  be  abstracted  from  the  particular  interests 
of  the  court  of  Rome  and  of  the  pope,  and  be  evidently 
connected  with  the  general  concerns  of  religion. 

With  considerable  eifect  Aleander  opened  the  cause 
against  Luther.  Beside  the  force  of  his  eloquence,  he 
was  armed  with  money,  and  was  empowered  to  distribute 
among  persons  of  distinction,  the  most  efficacious  diplo- 
mas. 

The  elector  of  Saxony,  foreseeing  the  important  ques- 
tions,  of  a  political  as  well  as  of  a  religious  nature,  which 
would  be  agitated  at  the  next  Diet,  took  care  to  be  at 
Worms  some  weeks  before  the  meeting  of  the  General 
Assembly.  There  this  wise  and  good  prince,  from  the 
conversations  with  the  emperor  and  others,  soon  disco- 
vered that  mischief  was  meditated  against  Luther.  His 
enemies,  in  general,  were  contriving  to  have  him  brought 
before  the  Diet,  with  the  design,  no  doubt,  of  securing 
the  person  of  the  heretic:  and  we  find  that  the  emperor 
had  once  so  far  acceded  to  their  wishes,  as  to  issue  ex- 
press orders  for  his  appearance.  The  summons  for  this 
purpose  was  sent  to  the  elector;  but  this  prince  refused 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  of  CHRIST.  287 

to  concur  in  that  mode  of  conducting  the  business,  and 
Charles  recalled  his  summons.  All  this  took  place  be- 
fore the  middle  of  January,  1521.*  In  fact,  at  this  mo- 
ment the  cautious  Frederick  scarcely  knew  what  course 
to  steer.  Perfectly  upright  and  conscientious,  he  wished 
for  nothing  so  much  as  an  impartial  hearing  of  the  whole 
cause,  and  an  equitable  sentence  in  consequence;  but  he 
had  great  fears  lest  by  calling  Luther  to  Worms,  he 
should  entangle  him  in  the  dangerous  snares  of  his  adver- 
saries; and  moreover,  he  did  not  then  know  what  Luther 
himself  might  think  of  such  a  proposal.  In  this  obscu- 
rity of  circumstances  the  good  sense  and  good  principles 
of  the  elector  determined  him  to  adhere  steadily  to  two 
points:  1.  By  no  means  to  compel  Luther  to  appear 
among  his  adversaries  against  his  own  will;  and,  2.  In 
every  event  not  to  permit  him  to  stir  a  step  towards 
Worms  without  a  complete  and  unequivocal  safe  con- 
duct, nor  to  write  any  letters  of  passport  in  his  behalf 
without  the  express  directions  of  the  emperor. — In  the 
mean  time  he  caused  Luther  to  be  made  acquainted  with 
the  intentions  of  his  malignant  adversaiies;  and  the  ques- 
tion to  be  put  to  him,  what  he  would  do  if  he  should  be 
cited  to  appear  at  the  Diet? 

The  answer  of  our  intrepid  reformer  was  perfectly  in 
character.  He  said,  if  he  should  be  called  by  so  high  an 
authority  as  that  of  the  emperor,  be  would  conclude  it 
to  be  the  Divine  will  that  he  should  go;  and  if  violence 
was  done  to  him,  as  probabljTmight  be  the  case,  he  would 
recommend  his  cause  to  God,  who  had  saved  the  three 
children  from  the  fiery  furnace. 

And  if  it  should  not  please  God  to  preserve  him,  his 
life  was  but  a  small  thing  compared  with  that  of  Christ 

*  Com.  de  Lulh.  XC. 


28S  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

and  His  sufferings.  "Though  knigs  and  princes,"  said 
Luther,  "conspired  against  the  Lord  and  his  Christ,  yet, 
as  it  is  written  in  the  same  psalm,  Blessed  are  they  that 
put  their  trust  in  him.  It  is  not  our  business  to  deter- 
mine whether  more  or  less  benefit  will  accrue  to  the 
Church  from  my  life  or  my  death;  but  it  is  our  bounden 
duty  to  beseech  God  that  the  reign  of  Charles  may  not 
commence  with  blood,  shed  in  an  impious  cause.  And 
for  my  part,  as  I  have  often  said,  I  w^ould  much  rather 
die  by  the  Romanists  alone,  than  that  he  should  be  in- 
volved in  this  business.  But  if  I  must  die,  not  only  by 
pontifical  but  also  by  civil  injustice,  God's  will  be  done. 
You  have  here  my  resolution.  Expect  from  me  any 
thing  rather  than  flight  or  retractation.  I  mean  not  to 
flee;  much  less  to  retract.  So  may  the  Lord  Jesus 
strengthen  me!  I  can  do  neither  without  scandalizing 
godliness,  and  hurting  the  souls  of  many."  This  letter 
was  addressed  to  his  friend  Spalatinus,  the  elector's  se- 
cretary.* 

To  the  elector  himself  he  writes,  as  being  t|ie  subject 
of  this  prince,  with  more  ceremonious  respect;  and  pro- 
bably with  a  suspicion  also,  that  his  letter  might  be  shown 
to  the  emperor.  He  calls  the  elector  his  most  illustrious 
prince  and  gracious  master,  and  says, 

"  I  rejoice  from  my  heart  that  his  Imperial  majesty  is 
likely  to  undertake  the  management  of  this  cause,  which 
is  indeed  the  cause  of  the  Christian  world  in  general, 
and  of  the  whole  German  nation  in  particular. — I  have 
ordered  copies  of  all  my  writings  to  be  transmitted  to 
your  Grace;  and  I  now  most  humbly  offer  again,  as  I 
have  repeatedly  offered  before,  to  do  every  thing  which 
becomes  a  servant  of  God  and  of  Christ  to  do,  the  mo- 

•  Com.  de  Luth.  XC. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST,  289 

ment  I  shall  be  informed  what  my  duty  is  from  the  clear 
evidence  of  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"I  have  therefore  with  ail  submission  to  entreat  your 
Grace  to  present  my  himiblc  petition  to  his  Imperial  Ma- 
jesty, that  he  would  graciously  be  pleased  to  grant  me  a 
safe  conduct,  and  suflicient  security  against  every  kind 
of  violence,  as  I  have  great  reason  to  be  apprehensive  on 
this  account;  and  that  he  would  also  appoint  learned  and 
good  men,  unsuspected,  and  well  skilled  in  the  knowledge 
of  their  Bibles,  to  try  this  cause;  and  that  for  the  sake  of 
Almighty  God  I  may  be  protected  from  every  outrage  till 
I  have  been  indulged  with  a  fair  hearing,  and  have  been 
proved  to  be  an  unreasonable,  ungodly  man,  and,  in 
short,  no  Christian. 

"  I  humbly  beg  also,  that  the  secular  power  may  so  far 
interfere  in  my  behalf,  that  my  adversaries,  the  defenders 
of  the  Roman  See,  may  be  compelled,  during  this  state 
of  the  business,  to  desist  from  their  wicked  and  malicious 
attempts  against  my  life,  honour  and  dignity,  and  in  par- 
ticular from  publicly  burning  my  writings;  though  as  yet 
I  have  never  been  tried,  much  less  convicted  of  any 
crime. 

"  In  regard  to  myself,  provided  I  am  but  allowed  a  safe 
conduct,  I  shall  in  humble  obedience  to  the  emperor's 
summons,  most  cheerfully  appear  before  tlie  next  general 
Diet  at  Worms;  and  there  by  the  help  of  Almighty  God, 
so  conduct  myself  before  just,  learned  and  impartial 
judges,  that  all  may  be  fully  convinced'that  I  have  done 
nothing  from  an  inconsiderate,  rash,  Refractory  spirit,  or 
with  a  view  to  temporal  honours  and  advantages;  but 
that- every  line  I  have  written,  and  every  doctrine  I  have 
taught,  has  proceeded  from  a  conscientious  regard  to  my 
oaths  and  obligations,     I  own  myself  unwortliy  to  be 

Vol..  II.  C!  o 


i'^Q  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/iap.  5. 

styled  a  Doctor  in  sacred  learning;  nevertheless,  it  will 
appear  that  I  have  constantly  intended  to  promote  the 
praise  and  glory  of  God,  the  happiness  and  salvation  of 
tlie  Catholic  church,  the  prosperity  of  all  Germany,  the 
overthrow  of  dangerous  abuses  and  superstitions,  and  the 
emancipation  of  the  whole  Christian  world  from  innume- 
rable, tyrannical,  impious,  and  disgraceful  grievances. 

"That  the  gracious  elector  of  Saxony,  together  with 
his  Imperial  Majesty,  may  deign  to  turn  a  Christian  eye 
to  the  present  state  of  religion,  burdened  and  enslaved  as 
it  is  in  so  many  ways,  is  the  prayer  of, 

"The  elector's  obedient  and  suppliant  Chaplain, 

"  Martin  Luther/' 

The  extraordinary  piety  and  firmness  so  manifest  in 
these  letters,  must  have  been  highly  pleasing  to  the  elec- 
tor of  Saxony;  especially  as  both  the  public  and  private 
proceedings  at  Worms  every  day  convinced  him  more 
and  more  of  the  necessity  of  our  Reformer's  presence. 
He  was  disgusted  to  find  that  secret  consultations,  to 
which  he  was  not  admitted,  were  continually  held  at  the 
emperor's  apartments,  for  the  purpose  of  ruining  Luther: 
moreover,  an  Imperial  mandate  was  issued,  by  which  the 
magistrates  were  conimanded  to  collect  together  all  the 
writings  of  the  heretic.  Lastly,  attempts,  though  fruit- 
less, were  made  by  the  emperor,  to  persuade  Frederick, 
that  it  was  his  peculiar  duty  to  call  his  own  subject,  Dr. 
Luther,  before  the  assembly  by  his  single  authority,  and 
also  to  supply  hifti  with  the  necessary  passports.*  The 
tendency  of  these  machinations  was  sufficiently  evident; 
and  nothing  was  so  likely  to  disconcert  them  all,  as  the 
actual  appearance  of  the  accused,  secured  by  an  effectual 
safe  conduct.     Also,  if  Aleander's  malignant  sophisms 

*  Id.  Add.  II,  LXXXVIII,  and  Add.  XC. 


Cent.  16.2  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  29\ 

and  gross  misrepresentations  had  impressed  or  puzzled 
the  minds  of  any  of  his  hearers,  nobody  could  so  soon  or 
so  completely  undeceive  them  as  Luther  himself,  by  his 
knowledge,  his  eloquence,  and  his  plain  dealing. 

Influenced  by  these  and  similar  considerations,  the 
elector  of  Saxony,  in  full  Diet,  urged  the  propriety  of 
proceeding  no  further  in  the  affairs  of  Luther,  till  he 
himself  could  be  heard  in  his  own  cause.  The  question 
before  them,  he  said,  was  not  merely  whether  certain 
doctrines  were  fasle,  and  ought  to  be  proscribed,  but  also 
whether  Martin  Luther  was  the  author  of  them.  Com- 
mon justice,  therefore,  required  that  he  should  be  called 
before  the  Diet,  that  they  might  learn  from  himself 
whether  he  really  avowed  and  propagated  the  sentiments 
which  were  said  to  be  found  in  his  books. 

It  was  impossible  on  any  decent  grounds  to  resist  so 
wise  and  reasonable  a  proposition.  In  fact,  the  whole 
Diet  almost  without  exception,  though  for  various  and 
even  opposite  reasons,  concurred  in  this  sentiment  of  the 
elector.  The  different  Imperial  Orders  thanked  the  em- 
peror for  his  good  intentions  in  securing  by  his  mandate 
the  books  of  Luther,  and  in  general  expressed  their  ap- 
probation of  the  measure.  But  still,  they  feared,  no  ma- 
terial good  was  to  be  expected  from  the  publication  of 
that  mandate.  Luther's  doctrines  had  spread  throughout 
Germany,  and  had  excited  much  thinking,  much  specu- 
lation and  design;  for  all  which  there  now  seemed  no  re- 
medy but  to  give  the  author  a  fair  hearing.  "Let  him 
have  a  safe  conduct,"  said  they,  "  and  let  the  question  be 
put  to  him,  '  Whether  he  will  retract  such  articles  as 
militate  against  the  holy  Christian  faith  which  we  have 
received  from  our  ancestors  and  preserved  until  this 
timer'    When  that  business  is  over,  he  may  be  heard  on 


2Q2  HISTORY  OF  THE  {^Chap.  5. 

other  points,  and  the  Diet  may  come  to  such  equitable 
resolutions  as  the  case  shall  require.  If  indeed  he  should 
refuse  to  recant,  then,  no  doubt,  the  Orders  of  the  em- 
pire will  strenuously  support  the  emperor's  decree  with 
all  their  might."  They  concluded  with  entreating  his 
Imperial  Majesty  to  adopt  some  measures  by  which  many 
practices  of  the  Roman  See  might  be  effectually  correct- 
ed:* for,  said  they,  they  are  become  highly  injurious  and 
intolerable  to  the  German  nation. 

Aleander,  however,  w  as  most  excessively  alarmed  on 
the  prospect  of  Luther's  appearance,  and  strenuously  ex- 
erted every  nerve  to  prevent  it. 

Charles  ventured  to  grant  Luther  a  safe  conduct  to 
Worms,  and  again  in  return  to  Wittemberg.  He  even  with 
his  own  hand  wrote  to  the  heretic,  and  calls  him,  our 
honourable,  beloved,  devout,  doctor  Martin  Luther,  of  the 
Augustine  order.  He  then  proceeds  to  inform*  him,  that 
the  emperor,  and  the  sacred  Imperial  Orders,  then  met 
in  congregation,  had  determined  to  examine  him  respect- 
ing certain  books  which  he  had  published;  that  they  had 
joined  in  granting  him  a  safe  conduct;  and  that  he  must 
not  fail  to  appear  before  the  Diet  within  twenty-one  days, 
reckoning  from  tlie  sixth  of  March,  the  date  of  the  let- 
ter. The  emperor  concludes  with  repealing  his  assu- 
rances of  protection  from  every  injury  and  violence.! 

Still  the  friends  of  Luther  remained  dissatisfied  with 
even  these  pledges  for  bis  safety;  so  deeply  were  their 
minds  impressed  with  what  had  happened  to  .John  Huss 
at  Constance.     It  was  agreed  therefore,  that  several  of 

*  These  and  many  other  interesting'  particulars  in  tills  account  are  not  so 
much. as  hinted  at  by  the  popish  writers.  They  are  taken  fronn  very  authentic 
accounts  of  the  proceedings  at  Worms  deposited  among  the  Saxon  archive^ 
a*  Weimar. 

7  Lutli.  Op.II.  1G3. 


Cent.  16.1  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  293 

the  princes  of  the  empire  should  also  parlicularly  and  dis- 
tinctly sign  the  safe  conduct,  as  a  further  security  against 
the  hostile  designs  of  the  Romans.  Lastly,  the  sagacious 
elector  of  Saxony  had  the  spirit  to  demand,  and  the  per- 
severance to  ohtain  from  the  emperor,  in  writing,  an  ex- 
press renunciation  of  the  detestahle  popish  tenet,  that 
good  faith  is  not  to  be  preserved  with  heretics. 

Luther  presently  resolved  on  the  journey  to  Woims. 
On  the  way  he  wrote  thus  to  a  friend:  '- 1  hear  the  empe- 
ror has  published  a  mandate  to  frighten  me.  But  Christ, 
nevertheless,  lives;  and  I  will  enter  Worms,  though  all 
the  gates  of  hell  and  all  the  powers  of  darkness  oppose. 
I  mean  to  terrify  and  to  despise  the  prince  of  darkness." 

Still  his  friends  besought  him  not  to  venture.  Their 
solicitations  to  save  his  life  met  him  at  every  step.  It 
was  under  such  circumstances,  and  to  such  solicitations, 
that  our  Saxon  hero,  with  his  usual  intrepidity,  returned 
that  ever-memorable  answer,  "  That  though  he  should 
be  obliged  to  encounter  at  Worms  as  many  devils  as 
there  were  tiles  upon  the  houses  of  that  city,  this  would 
not  deter  him  from  his  fixed  purpose  of  appearing  there: 
That  these  fears  of  his  friends  could  only  arise  from  the 
suggestions  of  Satan,  who  apprehended  the  approaching 
ruin  of  his  kingdom,  by  the  confession  of  the  truth  be- 
fore such  a  grand  assembly  as  the  Diet  of  Worms.^'* 
Luther  is  said  to  have  mentioned  the  circumstance  a  lit- 
tle before  his  death,  and  to  have  made  this  observation: 
"So  fearless  can  God  render  a  man: — I  do  not  know 
whether  at  this  day  I  should  be  so  bold." 
•  Luther  arrived  at  Worms  on  the  sixteenth  of  April, 
1521;  and  as  he  stepped  from  his  open  vehicle,  he  said 

•  Luth.  Op.  II,    Du  Pin,  c.  x. 


294^  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

these  words,  in  the  presence  of  a  prodigious  concourse 
of  people,  "  God  will  be  on  my  side."* 

Immense  crowds  daily  flocked  to  see  him;  and  his 
apartments  were  constantly  filled  with  visiters  of  the  high- 
est rank.  In  short,  he  was  looked  on  as  a  prodigy  of 
wisdom,  and  respected  as  one  who  was  born  to  enlighten 
the  understandings  of  mankind,  and  direct  their  senti- 
ments;— a  homage,  more  sincere,  as  well  as  more  flatter- 
ing, than  any  which  pre-eminence  in  birth  or  condition 
can  command.  Luther  lodged  with  the  Teutonic  knights, 
near  the  elector  of  Saxony;  and  on  the  day  after  his  arri- 
val was  conducted  to  the  Diet  by  the  marshal  of  the  em- 
pire.f 

On  his  appearance  before  that  august  assembly,  he 
was  directed  to  be  silent  till  questions  should  be  put  to 
him.  The  Official  of  the  archbishop  of  Treves,  who  was 
the  emperor's  speaker  on  the  occasion,  then  produced  a 
bundle  of  books,  and  informed  Luther,  that,  by  order  of 
his  Imperial  Majesty,  he  was  directed  to  propose  two 
questions  to  him.  The  first  was,  whether  he  acknow- 
ledged those  books  which  went  by  his  name,  to  be  his 
own;  and  the  second,  whether  he  intended  to  defend  or 
to  retract  what  was  contained  in  them.  Upon  this,  be- 
fore any  reply  could  be  made,  Jerome  Schurff*,  a  cele- 
brated doctor  of  the  civil  laws,  who  had  come  from  Wit- 
temberg  in  the  character  of  Luther's  advocate,  called  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  "  You  ought  to  recite  the  titles  of  the 
books."  The  Official  then  read  over  the  titles  in  suc- 
cession. Among  which  were,  Commentaries  on  the 
Psalms;  a  little  Tract  on  Good  Works;  a  Commentary 

*  Pallav.    DuPin. 

f  The  crowd  was  so  great,  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  conduct  Luther 
privately  through  a  garden,  and  by  back  stairs,  to  the  hall,  where  the  emperor 
and  the  Diet  were  assembled.    Luth.  Op.  II. 


Cent,  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  295 

on  the  Lord's  Prayer;  and  other  books  on  Christian  sub- 
jects, in  no  way  related  to  controversy.* 

I  shall  answer  the  question,  said  Luther,  as  concisely, 
and  as  much  to  the  purpose,  as  I  possibly  can.  1st.  Un- 
less the  books  have  been  mutilated  or  altered  by  fanciful 
sciolists,  or  by  the  arts  of  my  adversaries,  they  are  cer- 
tainly mine.  2dly.  Because  this  question  relates  io  faith 
and  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  because  it  concerns  the 
Word  of  God,  the  most  important  of  all  objects  in  heaven 
and  in  earth,  and  which  deservedly  requires  of  us  all  the 
most  profound  reverence,  it  would  be  equally  rash  and 
dangerous  for  me  to  give  a  sudden  answer  to  such  a  ques- 
tion; since,  without  previous  deliberation,  I  might  assert 
less  than  the  subject  demands,  and  more  than  truth  would 
admit;  both  which  would  expose  me  to  condemnation 
from  that  sentence  of  Christ,  "  Whosoever  denieth  me 
before  men,  him  will  I  deny  before  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven."'  For  this  reason  I  humbly  beseech  your  Im- 
perial Majesty  to  grant  me  a  competent  time  for  consi- 
deration, that  I  may  satisfy  the  inquiry  without  injuring 
the  word  of  God,  and  without  endangering  my  own  sal- 
vation. After  some  deliberation,  he  was  allowed  to  defer 
his  answer  till  the  next  day,  on  tiie  express  condition, 
however,  that  he  should  deUver  what  he  had  to  say  viva 
voce,  and  not  in  writing. 

On  the  following  day  he  was  told  that  he  ought  not  to 
have  petitioned  for  delay,  because  he  had  well  known, 

*  The  reader  may  smile  at  tlie  management  of  Dr.  Schurff,  who,  quite  in 
the  character  of  a  practitioner  of  the  law,  took  this  very  fair  opportunity  of 
bringing  into  view  and  exposing  the  unjustifiable  lengths  to  which  the  ene- 
mies of  his  client  had  proceeded  in  condemning  to  the  flames  even  his  most 
unexceptionable  writings.  The  Official  called  on  Luther  to  own  or  disown 
such  books  as  went  by  his  name.  *'  Let  us  hear  the  titles,  let  us  hear  the  sub- 
jects of  the  books,"  said  the  lawyer. 


296  HISTORY  OF  THE  l.Chap.  5. 

for  a  long  time,  what  would  be  the  nature  of  his  exami- 
nation; and,  moreover,  that  every  one  ought  to  be  able 
at  any  moment  to  give  an  account  of  his  faith;  and  much 
more  a  Doctor  of  great  reputation,  like  Luther,  who  had 
been  long  exercised  in  theological  discussions.  At  length, 
however,  said  the  Official,  return  an  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion of  the  emperor,  who  has  so  kindly  granted  you  your 
request. 

Luther  then  rose,  and  spoke  before  the  emperor  and 
the  princeS;  in  the  German  language,  to  the  following 
effect: 

"  I  stand  here  in  obedience  to  the  commands  of  his 
most  serene  Imperial  Majesty  and  the  most  illustrious 
princes,  and  I  earnestly  entreat  them  that  they  would 
deign  to  listen  to  this  cause  with  clemency.  It  will  ap- 
pear, I  trust,  to  be  the  cause  of  truth  and  justice;  and 
therefore,  if  through  ignorance,  I  should  fail  to  give  pro- 
per titles  to  each  of  the  dignified  personages  who  hear 
me,  or  if  in  any  other  respect  I  should  show  myself  de- 
fective in  politeness,  they  will  be  pleased  to  accept  my 
apology  with  candour.  I  have  not  been  accustomed  to 
the  refinements  of  the  court,  but  to  the  cloisters  of  the 
monastery;  nor  of  myself  have  I  any  thing  further  to  say, 
than  that  hitherto  I  have  read  lectures  and  composed 
books  with  that  simplicity  of  mind  which  only  regards 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  instruction  of  mankind. 

"To  the  first  question,"  continued  Luther,  "I  gave  a 
plain  and  direct  answer;  and  in  that  I  shall  persist  for 
ever.  I  did  publish  those  books,  and  I  am  responsible 
for  their  contents,  so  far  as  they  are  really  mine;  but  I 
do  not  answer  for  any  alterations  that  have  been  made  in 
them,  whether  by  the  crafty  malice  of  enemies  or  the  im- 
prudent officiousness  of  friends. 


Veut,  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  297 

"  In  regard  to  the  second  question  I  humbly  beg  your 
most  serene  Majesty  and  their  highnesses  to  take  espe- 
cial notice,  that  my  pubhcations  are  by  no  means  all  of 
the  same  kind.  Some  of  them  treat  only  of  piety,  and 
of  the  nature  of  faith,  and  morals;  and  these  subjects  are 
handled  in  so  evangelical  a  manner,  that  my  greatest  ad- 
versaries are  compelled  to  pronounce  them  innocent, 
profitable,  and  worthy  to  be  read  by  Christians.  The 
pope's  bull,  indeed,  though  it  actually  declares  some  of 
my  books  innocent,  yet,  with  a  monstrous  and  cruel  in- 
discrimination, condemns  Ihem  all.  Now  were  I  to  re- 
tract such  vnitings,  I  should  absolutely  stand  alone,  and 
condemn  those  truths  in  which  friends  and  foes  most 
perfectly  agree. 

•'  There  is  another  species  of  my  publications  in  which 
I  endeavour  to  lay  open  the  system  of  the  papal  govern- 
ment, and  the  specific  doctrines  of  the  papists,  who,  in 
fact,  by  their  corrupt  tenets  and  bad  examples,  have  made 
havoc  of  the  Christian  world,  both  in  regard  to  body  and 
soul.     There  is  no  denying  this:  Witness  the  universal 
complaints  now  existing,  how  the  papal  laws  and  tradi- 
tions of  men  most  miserably  entangle,  vex,  and  tear  to 
pieces  the  consciences  of  the  faithful,  and  also  plunder 
the  inhabitants  of  this  famous  country  in    ways  most 
shameful,  tyrannical,  and  scarcely  credible,  notwithstand- 
ing that  Germany  by  her  own  laws  has  declared,  that 
any  doctrines  or  decrees  of  the  pope,  which  are  contrary 
to  the  Gospel  or  the  sentiments  of  the  fathers,  are  to  be 
deemed   erroneous,  and  in   no  degree  obligatory. — If, 
therefore,  I  should  revoke  what  I  have  written  on  these 
subjects,  I  should  not  only  confirm  the  wicked,  despoti- 
oal  proceedings  to  which  I  allude,  but  also  open  a  door 

to  further  abuses  of  power,  that  would  be  still  more  li- 
VoL.  II.  2  P 


298  HISTORY  OP  THE  ICJiap.  5. 

centious  and  insupportable;  especially  if  it  were  said 
among  the  people  that  what  I  had  done  was  confirmed 
by  the  authority  of  his  most  serene  Majesty  and  a  gene- 
ral meeting  of  the  empire. 

"Lastly,  the  defences  and  replies  which  I  have  com- 
posed against  such  individuals  as  have  laboured  either  to 
establish  the  Roman  tyranny,  or  to  undermine  my  expla- 
nations of  the  fundamental  principles  of  religion,  consti- 
tutes a  third  class  of  my  publications.  And  in  these,  I 
freely  confess,  I  have  been  betrayed  into  an  asperity 
of  expression,  which  neither  becomes  me  as  a  clergy- 
man, or  as  a  Christian:  however,  I  pretend  not  to  set 
myself  up  for  a  saint,  neither  do  I  plead  for  the  strictness 
of  my  life,  but  lor  the  doctrines  of  Christ.  But,  it  is  not 
in  my  power  to  retract  even  these  writings  as  far  as  the 
matter  contained  in  them  is  concerned;  lest  by  such  a 
step  I  should  become  the  patron  of  the  most  arbitrary 
and  impious  usurpations,  which  in  consequence  would 
soon  gather  strength,  and  spend  their  fury  on  the  people 
of  God  in  more  violent  outrages  than  ever.  Yet,  since 
I  am  but  a  man,  and  therefore  fallible  in  judgment,  it 
would  ill  become  me,  in  supporting  my  poor  paltry  tracts, 
to  go  further  than  my  Lord  and  Master  Jesus  Christ  did 
in  the  defence  of  his  own  doctrines;  who,  when  he  was 
interrogated  concerning  them  before  Annas,  and  had  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  one  of  the  officers,  said,  '  If  I  have 
spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil;  but  if  well,  why 
smitest  thou  n\e?'  If  then  our  Lord,  who  was  infallible, 
did,  nevertheless,  not  disdain  to  listen  to  any  thing  that 
could  be  said  against  his  doctrine  even  by  a  person  of 
the  lowest  condition,  how  much  more  ought  such  a  con- 
temptible being  as  I,  who  am  all  imperfection,  to  be  ready 
to  attend  to  whatever  arguments  can  be  brought  in  the 


Cent.  16.1  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  29^ 

way  of  objection  to  my  positions?  I  entreat  therefore 
your  Majesty  and  the  members  of  this  illustrious  assem- 
bly, to  produce  evidence  against  me;  and  however  high, 
or  however  low,  be  the  rank  of  the  person  who  shall  be 
able,  from  the  sacred  Scriptures,  to  convict  me  of  error, 
I  will  instantly  retract,  and  be  the  first  to  throw  the  book 
into  the  fire. 

"Permit  me  to  suggest  for  the  consideration  of  us  all, 
that  as  Almighty  God  is  wonderful  and  terrible  in  coun- 
sel, surely  it  behoves  this  august  assembly  to  examine 
with  especial  care,  whether  the  object  which  my  ene- 
mies so  ardently  long  to  compass,  does  not  in  fact  amount 
to  a  condemnation  of  the  divine  word;  and  whether  such 
a  measure,  adopted  by  the  first  German  Diet  of  the  new 
emperor,  might  not  lead  to  a  dreadful  deluge  of  evils. 
Under  the  protection  of  God,  there  is  reason  to  augur 
well  of  this  excellent  young  prince;  but  take  care  that 
you  do  not  render  the  prospect  of  his  government  unfa- 
vourable and  inauspicious. 

"By  a  variety  of  instances  from  holy  writ,  and  parti- 
cularly by  the  cases  of  Pharaoh,  of  the  king  of  Babylon, 
and  of  the  kings  of  Israel,  I  could  prove  this  important 
point,  namely,  that  men  have  ruined  themselves  at  the 
very  moment  when  they  imagined  they  had  settled  and 
established  their  kingdoms  in  the  most  prudent  manner. 
The  ruling  principle  should  be,  the  fear  of  God.  HE 
it  is,  who  taketh  the  wise  in  their  craftiness,  and  re- 
moveth  the  mountains  and  they  know  not,  and  overturn- 
eth  them  in  his  anger.* 

"  In  saying  these  things,  I  mean  not  to  insinuate,  that 
the  great  personages  who  condescend  to  hear  me,  stand 
in  need  of  my  instructions  or  admonitions:  no, — but  there 

*  Job. 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE  [^Chap.  5. 

was  a  debt  which  I  owed  to  my  native  country,  and  it 
was  my  duty  to  discharge  it.  The  reasons,  which  I  have 
now  alleged,  will,  I  trust,  be  approved  by  your  serene 
Majesty  and  the  princes;  and  I  humbly  beg  that  you  will 
disappoint  my  enemies  in  their  unjust  attempts  to  render 
me  odious  and  suspected. — I  have  done."* 

As  soon  as  Luther  had  finished  his  speech,  which  was 
delivered  in  the  German  language,  he  was  ordered  to  say 
the  same  things  in  Latin.  But  he  was  so  much  out  of 
breath,  and  so  overcome  with  heat  and  the  pressure  of 
numerous  persons  of  quality,  that  he  found  it  necessary 
to  pause  a  little.  Upon  which  a  courtier  of  the  elector 
of  Saxony,  supposing  him  to  be  disconcerted  and  afraid 
to  proceed  in  the  Latin  language,  kindly  admonished  him 
to  desist  from  the  attempt,  and  assured  him  that  he  had 
said  enough.  Luther,  however,  did  not  relish  this  ad- 
vice; but  having  quickly  recovered  himself,  he  again  went 
over  the  same  ground  in  Latin  with  prodigious  animation, 
and  io  the  very  great  satisfaction  of  all  his  friends,  and 
particularly  the  elector  of  Saxony.  It  appears  that  this 
prince  was  so  delighted  with  the  piety,  confidence,  and 
ability  of  Luther  on  this  occasion,  that  he  took  Spalati- 
nus  aside  into  his  bedchamber,  and  there  expressed  his 
approbation  and  astonishment  in  the  following  manner: 
*'  0  how  excellently  did  Fatlier  Martin  speak,  both  in 
German  and  Latin,  before  the  emperor  and  the  Impe- 
rial Orders.  He  was  sufficiently,  if  not  rather  too  ani- 
mated!"! 

His  adversaries  acknowledged  that  he  spoke  for  two 
hours  with  the  applause  of  one  half  of  the  assembly;  until 
John  Eckius,J  the  Emperor's  speaker,  having  lost  almost 
all  patience,  before  Luther  had  well  concluded,  cried  out. 

•  Acta  Worm,         f  MS.  Spal  f  Not  Eckius,  the  Leipsic  disputant. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  SOI 

in  much  heat  and  passion,  That  he  had  not  answered  to 
the  point;  That  he  was  not  called  upon  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  his  doctrines;  That  these  had  already  been  con- 
demned in  former  councils,  whose  decisions  were  not 
now  to  be  questioned:  That  he  was  required  to  say  sim- 
ply and  clearly,  whether  he  would  or  would  not  retract 
his  opinions.  "  My  answer,"  said  Luther  instantly, 
"shall  be  direct  and  plain.  I  cannot  think  myself  bound 
to  believe  either  the  pope  or  his  councils;  for  it  is  very 
clear,  not  only  that  they  have  often  erred,  but  often  con- 
tradicted themselves.  Therefore,  unless  I  am  convinced 
by  Scripture  or  clear  reasons,  my  belief  is  so  confirmed 
by  the  Scriptural  passages  I  have  produced,  and  my  con- 
science so  determined  to  abide  by  the  word  of  God,  that 
I  neither  can  nor  will  retract  any  thing;  for  it  is  neither 
safe  nor  innocent  to  act  against  a  man's  conscience.^' — 
Luther  then  pronounced  these  words  in  the  German  lan- 
guage: f$it  §ttf^t  icfj;  ^cf^  ftan  nicjt  anticr,o;  45ott 
Jeiff  mir;  ^mcn.  "  Here  I  stand.  I  cannot  do  other- 
wise.    May  God  help  me.     Amen." 

After  the  Diet  had  taken  Luther's  speech  into  consi- 
deration, their  Speaker  told  him; — That  he  had  not  an- 
swered with  the  modesty  that  became  his  character  and 
situation.  That  if  he  had  retracted  those  books  which 
contained  the  main  part  of  his  errors,  he  would  have  suf- 
fered no  persecution  for  the  rest.  That  for  him,  who 
had  revived  the  errors  condemned  at  Constance,  to  re- 
quire a  refutation  and  conviction  from  Scripture,  was 
the  wild  proposal  of  a  man  scarcely  in  his  senses.  That, 
on  such  principles,  nothing  would  be  left  certain  in  the 
Church.  That  for  these  reasons,  he  was  once  more  ask- 
ed, whether  he  intended  to  defend  all  he  had  written  as 
orthodox,  or  whether  he  would  retract  any  part  as  erro- 
neous. 


302  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/iap.  5. 

Luther  persisted  in  liis  former  answer;  and  intreated 
the  emperor  not  to  permit  him  to  be  compelled  to  do  vio- 
lence to  his  conscience,  by  recanting  what  he  felt  him- 
self bound  to  believe  on  the  authority  of  the  word  of 
God,  unless  he  was  proved  to  be  mistaken  by  evident  ar- 
guments from  Scripture.  Councils,  he  repeated,  have 
erred  frequently.  "  You  cannot  prove  that/'  said  Eck- 
ius.  "I  will  pledge  myself  to  do  it,"  replied  Luther. 
But  night  coming  on,  the  Diet  broke  up. 

During  the  whole  of  this  interesting  scene,  the  special 
partizans  of  the  pope  were  filled  with  indignation;  and 
many  of  the  Spanish  Roman  Catholics  followed  Luther 
as  he  returned  home  from  the  tribunal,  and  showed  their 
enmity  by  long-continued  sneers  and  hisses. 

On  the  next  day,*  the  emperor  directed  a  schedule, 
written  with  his  own  hand,  to  be  read  to  the  princes 
in  full  congregation.  The  purport  of  the  schedule  was 
this:  "  His  ancestors  had  always  respected  the  Roman 
church,  which  Luther  now  opposed:  He  could  not  with 
any  propriety  depart  from  their  example:  He  was  bound 
to  defend  the  ancient  faith,  and  support  the  papal  See: 
And  as  Martin  Luther  could  not  be  induced  to  give  up 
any  one  of  his  errors,  he  was  determined  to  proceed 
against  him  as  a  notorious  heretic:  Nevertheless  he  by 
no  means  intended  to  violate  the  safe  conduct  which  had 
been  granted  to  him.^f 

This  hasty  and  indiscreet  measure,  which  was  partly 
owing  to  the  juvenile  impetuosity  and  inexperience  of 
Charles,  and  partly  to  the  incessant  solicitation  of  the 
papal  party,  produced  complaints  and  murmurs  in  the 
assembly.!  The  emperor,  by  giving  his  opinion  first, 
had  broken  the  established  rules  of  the  Diet.     He  ought 

*  April  19,  t  Acta  Worm^  t  Du  Pin. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  303 

not  to  have  given  his  judgment,  till  all  the  other  states 
had  given  theirs.  Such  a  procedure  was  esteemed  a 
prejudging  of  Luther's  cause,  and  manifestly  tended  to 
abridge  the  electors  and  princes  of  their  right  of  voting 
freely  in  the  matter  before  them.  Party  spirit  ran  high 
at  this  moment.  Acrimonious  papers  on  both  sides  of 
the  question  were  publicly  affixed  to  the  walls;  and  the 
most  violent  and  even  threatening  expressions  are  said  to 
have  been  used.  Had  Luther  been  a  man  of  a  worldly 
temper,  or  actuated  by  political  considerations,  he  might 
easily  have  turned  these  critical  circumstances  to  his  own 
advantage.  Could  he  have  been  persuaded  only  to  tem- 
porise a  little,  and  to  explain  away  or  even  soften  a  few 
of  the  most  oifensive  positions  in  his  publications,  there 
seems  abundant  reason  to  conclude,  ti)at  he  liiight  have 
gained  an  easy  victory  over  his  enemies  at  Worms,  and 
at  the  same  time  have  given  a  severe  blow  to  the  papal 
authority — So  great  was  the  impression  he  had  pioduced 
on  the  members  of  the  Diet;  and  so  odious  was  become 
the  systematic  oppression  of  the  Roman  See. 

But  a  true  servant  of  God  rarely  suffers  himself  to  be 
influenced  by  what  are  called  the  prudential  maxims  of 
men  of  the  world.  His  conduct  is  straight  and  steady; 
and  he  commits  the  event  to  God.  This  holy,  this  Chris- 
tian temper  of  mind,  was  eminently  exemplified  in  the 
behaviour  of  Luther,  during  the  remaining  conferences 
at  V¥orms. 

Charles  V.  no  doubt  soon  perceived  the  mistake  he 
had  committed,  in  having  sent  so  premature  a  message 
to  the  Diet.  That  assembly,  notwithstanding  the  pe- 
remptory declaration  of  the  emperor,  continued  all  that 
day,  and  all  the  next,  in  consultation,  and  no  official  in- 
formation was  sent  to  Luther,  respecting  a  matter  in 


304  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

which  he  was  so  deeply  interested.  The  misunderstand- 
ing, however,  was  compromised  in  this  way:  Charles,  at 
the  instance  of  the  Diet,  consented  that  the  heretic  should 
be  allowed  a  few  days'  longer  delay,  during  which  time 
such  of  the  princes  as  pleased  might  endeavour  to  per- 
suade him  to  recant  his  errors;  and  if  they  succeeded,  he 
promised  that  he  himself  would  take  care  he  should  be 
pardoned  by  the  Roman  pontiff* 

Accordingly,  on  the  twenty-fourth  and  twenty-fifth  of 
April,  incredible  pains  were  taken  by  the  princes,  elec- 
tors, and  deputies  of  various  Orders,  to  shake  the  resolu- 
tion of  this  hero  of  the  Reformation.  In  particular,  the 
archbishop  of  Treves  summoned  him  to  his  own  lodgings, 
where,  in  the  presence  of  several  persons  of  the  greatest 
distinction,  he  was  earnestly  exhorted  to  be  less  obstinate, 
and  to  submit  his  own  judgment  to  that  of  holy  councils. 
He  was  told,  that  though  he  had  written  many  good 
things,  yet  some  of  his  books  had  excited  incredible  dis- 
sentions  and  tumults;  and  that  if  he  persisted  in  those 
sentiments,  the  emperor  would  assuredly  proceed  to  ba- 
nish him  from  the  country.  Much  was  added  concern- 
ing the  necessity  of  laws,  and  of  obedience. 

Luther  humbly  thanked  the  princes  for  their  clemency 
and  good-will  towards  him.  He  said,  *'  he  by  no  means 
censured  councils  in  general,  but  only  a  part  of  the  pro- 
ceedings at  Constance  in  regard  to  John  Huss.  If  the 
faith  of  Christ  was  truly  set  forth,  and  Christ's  flock  were 
fed  in  a  real  Gospel-pasture,  there  would  be  no  need  to 
burden  the  church  with  human  traditions.  He  allowed 
that  he  ought  to  obey  magistrates,  even  wicked  magis- 
trates; that  the  precepts  for  this  purpose  were  to  be  taken 
in  their  plain  meaning,  and  that  he  had  often  taught  this 

'  Pallav. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  305 

• 

doctrine  in  his  writings.  He  was  ready  to  do  any  thing, 
provided  he  was  not  urged  to  deny  the  clear  word  of 
God.^' 

Luther  was  then  ordered  to  withdraw;  and  the  princes, 
after  considtalion,  called  him  again  before  them,  went 
over  the  same  ground,  and  concluded  with  again  exhort- 
ing him  to  submit  his  writings  to  the  judgment  of  Charley, 
and  of  the  princes  of  the  empire. 

Luther  replied.  That  it  should  never  be  said  that  he 
declined  the  judgment  of  the  emperor  and  the  leading 
orders  of  the  state.  He  was  so  far  from  dreading  a 
scrutiny  of  that  sort,  that  he  wished  it  to  be  as  accurate 
as  possible,  provided  always,  that  every  thing  was  to  rest 
on  tlie  authority  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.  He  humbly 
besought  them,  therefore,  to  do  no  violence  to  his  con- 
science, by  urging  him  to  deny  the  express  declarations 
of  the  divine  word.  They  should  find  him  completely 
obedient  in  all  other  respects. 

Are  we  to  understand,  then,  said  the  elector  of  Bran- 
denburg, that  you  will  not  give  way,  unless  convinced 
from  the  Holy  Scripture.^  "  Yes,  most  kind  and  gentle 
sir,"  replied  Luther,  "or  by  very  clear  and  evident 
reasons." 

Upon  this  the  assembly  broke  up.  When  it  imme- 
diately occurred  to  the  archbishop  of  Treves,  that  possi- 
bly he  might  succeed  better  at  a  private,  than  a  public 
meeting.  He  therefore  took  Luther  into  his  chamber, 
with  two  doctors,  namely,  Eckius,  his  official,  as  above 
mentioned,  and  Cochleus,  the  dean  of  Francfort,  a  cele- 
brated papal  advocate,  who  had  come  to  Worms  on  pur- 
pose to  oppose  the  heretic. 

Luther,  however,  had  the  good  sense  and  caution  to 
object  to  a  secret  conference  of  this  kind,  unless  several 

Vol.  II.  i2Q 


306  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.  ii. 

creditable  persons,  of  his  own  friends,  were  likewise  ad- 
mitted. This  being  agreed  to,  a  dispute  of  some  length 
ensued  concerning  the  rise  of  various  heresies  and  the 
decrees  of  councils:  but  not  the  smallest  advance  was 
made  towards  an  accommodation.* 

It  was  on  the  25th  of  April,  1521,  that  the  archbishop 
of  Treves  made  his  last  efforts  to  reclaim  this  obstinate 
heretic. t  He  commissioned  two  learned  doctors,  one  of 
whom  was  Conrad  Peutinger,  privy  counsellor  to  the 
emperor,  to  try  to  the  utmost,  whether  they  could  not 
persuade  him  to  submit  to  the  judgment  which  Charles 
V.  and  the  several  imperial  orders  should  pass  upon  his 
writings.  Luther,  as  usual,  agreed,  provided  they  would 
depend  solely  on  scriptural  authority;  otherwise,  he  said, 
nothing  could  be  more  opposite  to  his  principles.  "  Trust 
not,"  continued  he,  "  princes,  or  the  sons  of  men,  for 
there  is  no  safety  in  them.  Cursed  is  he  who  putteth 
his  trust  in  man." 

The  same  persons  then  entreated  him  to  consent  that 
a  selection  of  various  articles  should  be  made  from  his 
publications,  and  that  these  should  be  submitted  to  the 
judgment  of  a  general  council.  Luther  continued  in- 
flexible. Neither  threats,  nor  exhortations,  nor  promises, 
availed  to  make  him  change  his  resolution,  or  vary  from 
the  answer  he  had  so  often  given,  respecting  the  absolute 
necessity  he  was  under  of  abiding  by  the  sole  authority 
of  the  sacred  Scriptures. 

The  elector,  archbishop  of  Treves,  appears  to  have 
been  a  bigoted  Roman  Catholic,  but  a  man  of  gentle 
manners,  and  of  a  humane  disposition.     His  conduct  at 

*  Spalatinus  and  Justus  Jonas  were  among  the  friends  of  Luther  who  were 
present  at  this  meeting. 

t  This  is  the  name  which  had  long  been  given  him  by  the  papal  party. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  307 

Worms,  in  regard  to  Luther's  cause,  has  been  ascribed 
to  difterent  motives,  as  natural  timidity,  or  friendsiiip  for 
the  elector  of  Saxony.  There  is,  however,  no  imputa- 
tion on  his  sincerity  in  his  negotiations  vvitli  Luther.  So 
earnestly  did  this  prelate  wisii  for  an  accommodation  of 
the  differences,  that  when  all  other  methods  had  failed, 
he  took  Luther  into  his  closet,  and  there,  in  the  kindest 
manner, — no  other  person  being  present, — exhorted  him 
to  submit  to  some  of  the  proposals  that  had  been  made 
to  him,  respecting  the  final  judgment  of  the  emperor  and 
the  imperial  orders,  or  of  a  general  council.  Luther 
answered  roundly.  That  he  by  no  means  thought  it  safe' 
to  entrust  the  decision  of  so  important  a  matter  to  per- 
sons, who,  when  he  was  called  before  them  under  the 
public  faith,  had  yet  persecuted  him  afresh,  had  ah'cady 
given  judgment  against  him,  and  had  even  approved  of 
the  pope's  bull. — Lastly,  the  archbishop  called  in  Spa- 
latinus,  and,  in  his  presence,  asked  Luther,  whether  he 
himself  could  suggest  any  healing  measures,  that  were 
likely  to  succeed.  "  Nothing  better,"  replied  Luther  in- 
stantly, "than  the  advice  of  Gamaliel;  'If  this  work  be 
of  men,  it  will  come  to  nought;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye 
cannot  resist  it'  The  emperor  and  the  princes  may  in- 
form the  pope,  that  I  feel  perfectly  assured  this  whole 
religious  agitation  and  controversy,  in  which  I  am  now 
concerned,  will  of  itself  die  away  in  less  than  two  years, 
unless  God  be  actually  on  my  side." 

What  would  you  do,  said  the  archbishop,  suppose  an 
extract  of  certain  propositions  from  your  books  should 
be  made,  and  the  articles  so  extracted  be  submitted  to 
the  judgment  of  a  future  council?  '•  I  hope,  kind  sir," 
replied  Luther,  "  they  would  not  be  those  which  were 
condemned  by  the  council  of  Constance."    I  fear  they 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

would,  said  the  archbishop.  "Then,"  rejoined  Luther, 
"  I  neither  can  nor  will  be  silent,  in  regard  to  such  a  pro- 
posal; for  I  am  sure  that  the  decrees  of  that  council 
condemned  the  word  of  God;  and  rather  than  give  up 
the  word  of  God,  when  the  case  is  quite  clear,  I  would 
lose  my  life.'' 

In  about  three  hours  after  this  conversation,  Luther 
received  a  message  from  the  emperor,  which  directed 
him  to  leave  Worms,  "  because,  notwithstanding  the 
most  friendly  admonitions  and  entreaties,  he  persisted  in 
bis  contumacy,  and  would  not  return  into  the  bosom  of 
the  church."  He  was  allowed  twenty-one  days  to  return 
home;  during  which  time  the  public  faith  was  pledged 
for  his  safety;  but  he  was  strictly  enjoined  not  to  preach 
to  the  people  in  the  course  of  his  journey. 

"This  is  the  Lord's  will,"  said  Martin,  "and  blessed 
be  the  name  of  the  Lord!"  He  then,  through  the  official, 
returned  most  respectful  thanks  to  the  emperor,  and  the 
members  of  the  assembly,  for  their  patience  in  hearing 
him,  and  their  liberal  treatment  in  general.  He  said,  he 
had  wished  for  nothing  but  a  reform  in  religion,  on  the 
plan  of  the  Holy  Scriptures;  nor  did  he  now  request  any 
thing  for  himself,  but  to  be  allowed  the  free  use  of  the 
word  of  God.  Let  that  only  be  granted,  and  he  was 
ready  to  undergo  every  thing  without  exception,  for  the 
sake  of  his  imperial  majesty  and  the  imperial  orders. — 
He  left  Worms  on  the  following  day,  the  twenty-sixth  of 
April. 

But  the  papists  still  meditated  his  destruction.  To 
secure  him,  Frederick  contrived  a  plan,  not  very  agree- 
able to  Luther,  but  effectual  to  his  preservation.  Three 
or  four  liorsemen,  in  whom  Frederick  could  confide, 
disguised  themselves  in  masks,  and  contrived  to  meet 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  309 

the  persecuted  monk  near  Eisenach,  on  his  return  home. 
They  played  their  part  well.  They  rushed  out  of  a 
wood,  secured  Luther  as  it  were  by  force,  and  carried 
him  into  the  castle  of  Wartburg.*  There  Luther  had 
leisure  to  pursue  his  plan  of  studying  the  Scriptures  and 
writing.  From  his  retirement  he  sent  forth  new  works 
continually.  These  encouraged  the  hearts  of  his  friends, 
and  kept  alive  the  spirit  of  reformation. 

In  the  year  1522,  he  left  his  Patmos,  as  he  called  his 
castle,  and  returned  to  Wittemberg,  without  the  consent 
or  even  the  knowledge  of  his  patron  and  protector,  Fre- 
derick. The  active  spirit  of  the  reformer  ill  brooked 
his  long  confinement,  and  moreover,  the  distracted  state 
of  the  infant  Protestant  church  absolutely  required  his 
presence. 


CIL4PTER  VL 

Fanatics. -^Activity  of  Luther. — Mrian. 

The  necessity  of  knowledge  and  piety  to  temper  and 
direct  zeal  is  frequently  manifest.  Much  disorder  arose 
from  the  violent  proceedings  of  Carolsladt,  a  coadjutor 
of  Luther's.  He  discouraged  learning,  and  at  the  head 
of  impetuous  youths  broke  down  the  images  in  the  Ro- 
man Cathohc  churches,  overthrew  their  altars,  &c. 
These  were  all  opposite  to  the  gospel,  but  his  mode  of 
procedure  was  entirely  indefensible.  Luther  was  much 
distressed  by  it.  He,  however,  wrote  "  There  is  no  rea- 
son to  be  frightened.  Rather  give  praise  to  God;  and 
rejoice  in  the  certain  expectation  that  all  will  end  well. 
Things  of  this  kind  always  happen  to  those  who  en- 

•  May  3. 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CVicj).  6. 

deavour  to  spread  the  gospel.  We  must  not  only  expect 
Annas  and  Caiaphas  to  rage  against  us;  but  even  a  Judas 
to  appear  among  the  apostles,  and  Satan  himself  among 
the  sons  of  God.  Be  wise,  and  look  deeper  than  to  the 
external  appearance.  Other  agents,  besides  those  which 
are  merely  human,  are  at  work.  Don't  be  afraid,  but 
be  prepared  for  more  events  of  this  sort.  This  is  only 
the  beginning  of  the  business:  Satan  intends  to  carry 
matters  much  further  yet.  Believe  me  in  what  I  now 
say;  I  am  but  a  plain,  simple  man;  however,  I  know 
something  of  Ids  arts.  Suffer  the  world  to  clamour  against 
us,  and  to  pass  their  harsh  judgments.  Be  not  so  much 
concerned  at  the  falling  away  of  particular  Christians. 
Even  holy  Peter  fell;  and  also  others  of  the  apostles. 
Doubt  not  but  they  will  in  a  short  time  rise  again,  as 
surely  as  Christ  himself  rose  from  tiie  dead  The  words 
of  St.  Paul  to  the  Corinthians  *  are  at  this  moment  pe- 
culiarly applicable  to  our  circumstances,  namely,  '  that 
we  should  approve  ourselves,  as  the  ministers  of  God, 
in  much  patience,  in  imprisonments,  in  tumults,  in  la- 
bours.^ " 

Several  enthusiasts  appeared  in  Saxony,  among  wliom 
Nicholas  Stork,  Mark  Stubncr,  Martin  Cellary,  and 
Thomas  Munzer,  have,  by  their  follies,  obtained  a  me- 
morial in  history.  Stork  was  a  baker  at  Zwickau,  who 
had  selected,  from  his  acquaintance  of  the  same  calling, 
twelve  whom  he  called  apostles,  and  also  seventy  two 
disciples.  The  other  three,  in  a  tumultuous  manner, 
harangued  the  populace  in  the  church  of  St.  Catharine 
of  the  same  town.  Nicholas  Hausman,  the  pious  master 
of  the  place,  resisted  these  insane  prophets  to  the  best  of 
his  power,  but  could  not  control  their  fury. — They  pro- 

•  2  Cor.  V, 


Centie.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  SH 

fessed  themselves  to  have  a  divine  commission,  and  pre- 
tended to  visions  and  inspirations.     They  raised  disputes 
concerning  the  baptism  of  infants,  and  appealed  to  super- 
natural revelations  for  their  authority.     Luther  wrote 
thus  to  Melancthon  concerning  them.     "  As  you  are  my 
superior,"  said  he,  "  both  in  discernment  and  erudition, 
I  cannot  commend  your  timidity  in  regard  to  these  pro- 
phets.    In   the  first  place,  when  they  bear  record,  of 
themselves,  we  ought  not  implicitly  to  believe  them;  but 
rather  to  try  the  spirits,  according  to  St.  John's  advice. 
As  yet,  I  hear  of  nothing  done  or  said  by  them,  which 
exceeds  the  imitative  powers  of  Satan.     It  is  my  particu- 
lar wish  that  you  would  exainine  whether  they  can  pro- 
duce any  p'oq/"  of  having  a  divine  commission.     For  God 
never  sent  any  prophet,  who  was  not  either  called  by 
proper  persons,  or  authorized  by  special  miracles,  no, 
not  even  his  own  Son.     Their  bare  assertion  of  a  divine 
afflatus,  is  not  a  sufficient  ground  for  your  receiving 
them ;  since  God  did  not  even  choose  to  speak  to  Samuel, 
but  with  the  sanction  of  Eli's  authority.     So  much  for 
their  pretensions  to  a  public  character. — In  tlie  next 
place,  I  would  wish  you  to  sift  their  private  spirit,— 
whether  they  have  experienced  any  internal  distresses  of 
soul,  the  attacks  of  death  and  hell,  and  the  comforts  of 
the  new  birth  unto  righteousness.     If  you  hear  nothing 
from  them  but  smooth,  tranquil,  and,  forsooth,  what  they 
call,  devout,  religious  contemplations,  regard  them  not; 
for  there  is  wanting  the  characteristic  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
of  the  Man  of  sorrows;  there  is  wanting  the  Cross,  the 
only  touchstone  of  Christians,  and  the  sure  discerner  of 
spirits.     Would  you  know  the  place,  the  time,  the  man- 
ner of  divine  conferences  and  communications;  hear  the 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mjJ.  6= 

written  word,  '  As  a  lion  will  he  break  all  my  bones/* 
And  *  I  am  cast  out  of  the  sight  of  thine  eyes.  My  soul 
is  full  of  trouble,  and  my  life  draweth  nigh  unto  hell.' 
The  majesty  of  the  Divine  Being  speaks  not  immediately, 
in  a  way  that  man  should  see  HIM.  None  can  see  HIM 
and  live.  Do  you  try  them  therefore  carefully,  and  listen 
not  even  to  a  glorified  Jesus,  unless  you  find  he  was  first 
crucified.'' 

Returned  to  Wiltemberg,  Luther  resumed  his  favourite 
employment  of  preaching,  for  which  he  was  eminently 
qualified.  In  a  conference  with  some  of  the  fanatics,  he 
showed  their  want  of  scriptural  support.  He  also  pub- 
lished his  version  of  the  New  Testament  in  the  German 
language,  and  prepared  for  the  publication  of  the  Old, 
which  he  eventually  accomplished.  The  progress  of  the 
reformation  having  become  considerable,  he  gave  direc- 
tions concerning  the  removal  of  various  abuses,  such  as 
administering  the  sacrament  in  one  kind  only,  &c. 

Great  opposition  was  made  to  the  reformer  by  Duke 
George  of  Saxony,  who  excited  various  enemies  against 
him.  Among  other  things  this  persecutor  sought  to  de- 
stroy the  copies  of  the  New  Testament  Luther  had  cir- 
culated.    But  the  work  proceeded. 

Many  of  the  bishops  opposed  him.  To  them  he  wrote 
with  great  energy.  At  the  same  time  he  proceeded  to 
show  how  much  those  were  to  be  valued  who  were 
bishops  indeed,  and  governed  their  flocks  according  to 
the  rules  prescribed  by  St.  Paul  to  Timothy  and  Titus; 
and  how  exceedingly  opposite  to  the  apostolical  standard 
was  the  general  character  of  the  bishops  of  his  own 
time. 

"  But,"  says  he,  "  the  most  atrocious  and  most  mis- 

*  Isaiah  xxxviii.  13. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  31$ 

chievous  poison  of  all  the  papal  usages  is  that,  where  the 
pontiff,  in  his  bulls  of  indulgence,  grants  a  full  remission 
of  sins.  Christ,  in  the  0th  of  Matthe»v,  did  not  say  to 
the  sick  of  the  palsy,  'put  money  into  this  box,'  but 
'  Son,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee/  No 
words  nor  conceptions  can  reach  the  atrocity  and  abomi- 
nation of  this  Satanic  invention:  for,  through  this  mean, 
the  people  are  seduced  from  the  purity  and  simplicity  of 
that  faith  which,  by  relying  on  the  gracious  promises  of 
God,  alone  justifies  and  obtains  remission  of  sins;  and 
they  are  led  to  put  their  trust  in  the  pope's  bulls,  or  in 
paying  certain  prescribed  sums  of  money,  or  in  their 
own  works  and  satisfactions." 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  contained  in  his 
famous  bull,  Luther  proceeds  thus: — "These  proposi- 
tions I  undertake  to  prove,  even  at  the  tribunal  of  Al- 
mighty God,  by  unanswerable  arguments.  The  apostle 
Paul  directs  Titus  to  ordain  bishops  in  every  city;  men, 
who  should  each  of  them  be  blameless,  the  husband  of 
one  wife,  and  whose  character  should  agree  with  the 
rest  of  his  description.*  Such  then  is  the  mind  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  speaking  by  the  apostle  Paul  in  the  clearest 
terms.'' 

Leo  X.  dying,  was  succeeded  by  Adrian  VL,  formerly 
the  preceptor  of  Charles  V.  He  entered  into  the  course 
of  persecution  pursued  by  his  predecessor.  "  It  is  a  most 
unaccountable  thing,"  said  he,  "  that  so  large  and  so  re- 
ligious a  nation  should  be  seduced  by  a  single  pitiful 
friar."  He  called  upon  the  German  princes  assembled 
at  Nuremburgh  to  root  out  Lutheranism.  It  was  beyond 
their  power.  The  Pope  having  confessed  that  many  cor- 
ruptions existed,  they  besought  him  to  summon  a  general 

*  Tit.  chap.  i.  and  li. 
Vol.  IT.  2R 


314  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/mp.7. 

council,  and  drew  up  a  memorial  of  a  hundred  grievances 
against  the  church  of  Rome.  Luther  pubhshed  an  ad- 
dress to  the  princes  and  noblemen  of  Germany,  in  which 
he  gratefully  acknowledged  this  important  aid. 

But  the  enemies  of  the  truth  became  at  length  out- 
rageous, and  both  Luther  and  the  elector  of  Saxony  were 
in  the  most  imminent  danger.  That  Providence,  how- 
ever, in  which  Luther  steadfastly  confided,  proved  their 
sufficient  shield. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Denmark. — Sweden. — JVew   Pope. — Consubstautiation. Mim- 

zer. — Death  of  Frederick. 

In  Denmark  the  light  of  truth  began  to  shine.  Several 
students  of  divinity  from  that  country  had  visited  the  uni- 
versity of  Wittemberg,  induced  by  what  they  had  heard 
of  Luther's  talents  and  learning.  On  their  return,  it 
soon  appeared  that  they  had  caught  the  salutary  flame 
which  had  already  exhilarated  the  hearts  of  so  many 
foreigners.  Both  in  public  and  in  private,  among  their 
countrymen,  they  most  industriously  spread  the  reforma- 
tion they  had  oltained  from  their  great  Saxon  master. 

Herman  Tast,  in  the  year  1522,  was  the  first,  who, 
when  he  found  the  church  at  Husum  shut  against  him 
by  the  popish  clergy,  preached  boldly,  under  a  tree  in  the 
churchyard,  a  course  of  most  excellent  sermons  to  a  nu- 
merous audience;  and  this  same  pastor  also  two  years 
after  preached  at  Gardingen  the  first  public  sermon  which 
was  ever  composed  according  to  the  sound  principles  of 
the  reformed  religion,  and  delivered  in  a  regular  way 


fVnf.lG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S16 

from  the  pulpit  in  that  country:  for  in  1524,  Frederick  I,, 
king  of  Denmark  and  duke  of  Holstein,  made  it  a  capi- 
tal offence  for  any  person  to  take  away  the  life,  or  injure 
the  property  or  dignity  of  another,  on  account  of  his  reli- 
gion, whether  Papal  or  Lutheran. 

In  Sweden,  the  renowned  Gustavus  Vasa,  having  in  his 
youth  lived  an  exile  at  Lubec,  and  there  gained  some  in- 
formation concerning  the  grounds  of  Lutheranism,  and 
having  afterwards  been  further  instructed  by  Laurentius 
and  Olaus  Petri,  two  disciples  of  Luther,  no  sooner  saw 
himself  in  firm  possession  of  the  throne,  than  he  deter- 
mined to  reform  the  church. 

A  royal  proclamation  by  Gustavus,  in  substance  as  fol- 
lows, must  have  been  extremely  beneficial  to  the  reform- 
ers. "  We  do  not  deny  that  our  care  is  for  the  true  reli- 
gion founded  on  the  word  of  God.  There  can  be  no  bet- 
ter religion  than  that  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  have 
delivered  to  us.  Here  there  is  no  place  for  dispute.  But, 
respecting  certain  ceremonies  questions  are  raised,  and 
more  especially  respecting  the  privileges  of  the  cleigy. 
It  is  true,  that  we  find  learned  men  ai'e  desirous  of  abo- 
lishing several  useless  external  rites,  but  there  is  not  the 
least,  ground  for  calumniating  us,  as  though  we  wished  to 
introduce  any  other  religion  than  that  which  is  truly 
Christian.  Our  single  aim  is,  to  worship  God  in  spirit 
and  truth,  and  to  become  a  partaker  of  the  joys  of  hea- 
ven with  all  Christ's  faithful  servants.  Let  not  our  be- 
loved subjects,  therefore,  listen  to  slanderous  reports  con- 
cerning their  sovereign;  but  remain  assured,  that  our 
thoughts  are  employed  how  we  may  best  promote  the 
glory  of  God,  and  their  eternal  welfare.  It  is  not  long 
ago,  since  we  learned  what  fraudulent  means  the  Roman 
pontiff  has  employed  to  drain  this  kingdom  of  large  sums 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.7. 

of  money,  through  tlie  institution  of  private  mksses  and 
indulgences.  And  in  regard  to  other  countries  men  of 
the  best  information  have  proved,  beyond  contradiction, 
by  what  variety  of  deceitful  methods  the  bishops  and  other 
ecclesiastical  dignitaries  make  a  gain  of  the  simple;  and 
how  they  burden  wretched  consciences,  and  multiply  acts 
of  hypocrisy.  The  luxurious  prelates  now  see  that  these 
evil  practices  are  detected  and  exposed  by  persons  of  the 
greatest  piety  and  knowledge;  and  therefore  they  set  their 
faces  against  the  truth  with  all  their  might,  and  cry  out, 
Innovation  and  heresy!  But  believe  them  not. — We  seri- 
ously exhort  you  to  believe  them  not;  for  there  is  not  one 
word  of  truth  in  their  malicious  accusations."* 

Violent  opposition  mas  made  by  the  papists,  but  Gus- 
tavus  prevailed. 

He  called  an  assembly  of  the  states  of  his  kingdom, 
and  proposed  a  reform. 

Upon  hearing  the  king's  proposal,  the  convocation  was 
ahnosi  in  an  uproar.  The  prelates,  and  other  papal  ad- 
herents, cried  No!  No!  with  the  utmost  clamour,  and 
called  loudly  on  the  leading  men  of  the  country,  to  with- 
stand such  unjust  innovations. 

But  the  pious  and  disinterested  Gustavus  had  formed  a 
resolution,  from  which  even  the  splendour  of  a  crown 
could  not  induce  him  to  depart.  He  came  into  the  assem- 
bly, and  there  publicly  resigned  the  government  of  the 
kingdom.  With  some  warmth,  but  with  great  decency 
and  firmness,  he  informed  them,  that  he  had  made  his 
choice,  and  that  his  conscience  did  not  permit  him  to 
support  a  superstitious  and  depraved  system  of  religion. 
He  added,  that  he  had  determined  to  leave  the  country, 

*  Baazius  Histor. 


Cent.16.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  317 

but  expected  them  to  pay  him  the  price  of  his  hereditary 
possessions. 

The  great  body  of  the  Swedish  representatives  were 
now  in  an  uproar,  and  threatened  the  papists  with  ven- 
geance if  they  did  not  consent  to  the  w  ishes  of  their  be- 
loved sovereign. 

George,  marquis  of  Brandenburg,  protected  the  rising 
reformation  in  Hungary. 

But  the  persecution  in  Flanders  was  ferocious.  There 
Aleander,  armed  with  the  authority  of  the  pope,  and  sup- 
ported by  the  united  power  of  the  inquisition  and  of  the 
civil  government,  exercised  the  vengeance  of  the  hier- 
archy without  mercy.  The  writings  of  Luther  had  in- 
fected the  Augustinian  monks  at  Antwerp.  Some  of  them 
were  imprisoned,  and  recanted;  but  three,  in  spite  of  per- 
suasion, threats,  and  long  confinement,  remained  steady.* 
These  w'ere  publicly  stript  of  their  holy  orders,  and  de- 
clared heretics  on  a  scaffold  at  Brussels,  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  year  1523. 

Adrian  dying,  Julius  de  Medicis  succeeded  him,  with 
the  title  of  Clement  VII.  He  was  by  no  means  disposed 
to  comply  with  the  wishes  of  the  Diet  of  Nuremburgh. 

The  triumphs  of  evangelical  doctrine  continued.  Prus- 
sia received  the  truth,  as  did  also  various  other  regions. 
The  labours  of  the  faithful  w^re  not  in  vain. 

It  is  matter  of  regret,  that  Luther  retained  one  error, 
that  of  consubstantiation.  Perhaps,  however,  we  should 
say  it  is  astonishing  that  he  gained  deliverance  from  so 
many.  Born  and  educated  a  papist,  having  every  inqui- 
ry to  make  for  himself,  we  may  indeed  be  surprised  that 
he  arrived  at  so  large  a  measure  of  truth. 

He  rejected  the  doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  but 

*  Bl-Midst, 


318  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICkap.  7. 

maintained,  nevertheless,  that  along  with  the  elements  of 
bread  and  wine,  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ  were 
received  by  the  partakers  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  It  is  a 
memorable  instance  of  human  imbecility,  that  a  man  who 
had  risen  superior  to  the  habits  and  prejudices  of  educa- 
tion in  so  many  other  respects,  and  who,  through  the 
grace  of  God  and  the  instruction  of  the  written  word, 
had  been  more  completely  emancipated  from  vulgar  and 
fashionable  absurdities,  than  any  mere  philosopher  iu 
any  age  had  ever  been,  should  in  this  single  point  re- 
main so  unreasonably  attached  to  the  opinion  which  he 
had  imbibed  in  his  youth.  Our  astonishment  is  increased 
by  this  circumstance,  that  he  could  allow  the  scriptural 
expressions  to  be  consistent  with  the  admission  of  the 
reality  of  the  elements  according  to  the  plain  testimony 
of  our  senses,  and  yet  should  think  that  those  same  ex- 
pressions do  still  imply  that  the  partaker  of  the  real  bread 
and  wine  does  also  partake  at  the  same  time  of  the  ma- 
terial substance  of  Christ's  human  body.  Thus,  how- 
ever, the  advocates  for  the  doctrine  of  consubstantiation 
must  argue.  And  the  case  before  us  shows,  that  great 
men  are  not  so  in  all  things;  and  that  it  is  never  wise  to 
adhere  implicitly  to  the  authority  of  mere  fallible  men  as 
teachers.  He  contended  for  this  doctrine  with  vehe- 
mence. 

Munzer  and  the  celestial  prophets  have  already  been 
adverted  to.  They  boasted  of  conversations  with  the  Al- 
mighty. By  eulogizing  them,  Munzer  united  to  himself 
a  number  of  persons,  who  entered  into  a  conspiracy  with 
him,  subscribed  their  names  and  took  a  solemn  oath,  for 
the  express  purpose  of  murdering  all  wicked  persons, 
appointing  new  princes  and  magistrates,  and  organizing 
the  world  afresh;  and  upon  such  a  plan,  that  pious  and 


Ce«M6.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  319 

good  people  only  should  have  the  upper  hand. — The  en- 
thusiast declared,  that  for  all  this,  he  had  the  positive 
command  of  God. 

Banished  from  Saxony,  Mnnzcr  retired  to  Nurem- 
berg, and  thence  to  Mulhausen,  where  he  had  more  suc- 
cess; He  became  the  minister  of  the  common  people, 
and  stimulated  them  to  degrade  the  old  magistrates  and 
elect  new  ones;  and  to  turn  the  monks  out  of  doors,  and 
seize  their  houses  and  property.  The  very  best  and 
richest  house  fell  to  the  share  of  Munzer  himself,  who 
was  now  become  both  the  first  ecclesiastic  and  the  first 
magistrate  of  the  place.  lie  decided  all  points  in  a  sum- 
mary way  by  the  Bible  or  by  inspiration,  and  taught  the 
doctrine  of  perfect  equality,  and  of  a  community  of  goods. 
The  poor  ceased  to  labour,  and  supplied  their  wants 
from  the  rich  by  force.  The  number  of  this  deluded 
rabble  increased  in  a  most  astonishing  manner;  their  in- 
fatuated leader  became  every  day  more  insolent,  and  per- 
suaded himself  that  the  time  for  carrying  his  detestable 
designs  into  execution  was  fast  advancing. 

Availing  himself  of  popular  grounds'  of  complaint  of  a 
secular  nature,  Munzer  inflamed  the  passions  of  the  peo- 
ple. He  made  violent  and  delusive  harangues,  and,  by 
his  relation  of  visions  and  inspirations,  and  a  pretended 
foresight  of  certain  success,  rendered  them  altogether 
desperate  and  outrageous. 

Luther  at  first  counselled  to  forbearance,  but  when 
the  murderous  designs  of  the  fanatic  were  fully  manifest, 
he  used  all  his  influence  against  him.  He  wrote  against 
him.  He  addressed  the  common  people.  He  addressed 
the  princes  and  nobles.  The  rustics  were  anxious  for 
his  countenance,  but  he  warned  them  against  the  con- 


320  IILSTORY  OF  THE  IChaji.  7. 

sequences  of  their  conduct,  and  displayed  to  them  in 
strons  colours  the  character  of  their  leaders. 

When  at  length  the  violence  of  the  mob  became  wholly 
Tingovernablc,  and  monasteries,  castles  and  houses  were 
pulled  down,  and  many  persons  murdered,  Luther  wrote 
a  tract  against  the  robbers  and  murderers.  To  relate  all 
the  particulars  of  the  rebellion  in  1525  would  be  foreign 
to  our  purpose;  it  may  be  sufficient  to  add,  that  the 
princes  of  the  empire  found  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
unite  their  forces  and  their  efforts  for  the  suppression 
and  punishment  of  the  insurgents.  The  carnage  in  va- 
rious parts  of  Germany  was  dreadful.  A  vast  multitude 
of  the  faction  in  Thuringia  were  met  by  the  Saxon  and 
other  confederate  princes  near  Mulhausen,  where  they 
were  defeated  in  a  pitched  battle,  and  Munzer  their  ring- 
leader was  also  taken  and  put  to  death. 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1525,  died  Luther's  friend  the 
Elector  of  Saxony.  The  Lord  never  wants  for  instru- 
ments. Frederick  the  Wise  was  a  most  powerful  pro- 
moter of  the  reformation,  at  a  period  when  it  was  most 
in  need. 

A  short  time  before  he  expired,  he  addressed  his  ser- 
vants and  domestics  in  the  following  terms.  "  I  entreat 
you,  my  dearest  children,  in  the  name  of  God,  and  for 
HIS  sake,  to  forgive  me,  if  I  have  offended  any  of  you 
in  word  or  deed;  and  I  further  entreat  you  to  make  in 
my  name  this  same  request  for  me  to  others.  We  princes 
are  apt  to  treat  our  poor  distressed  subjects  in  a  vexa- 
tious and  unjustifiable  manner."  The  devout  and  affec- 
tionate expressions  of  the  elector  drew  tears  from  Spala- 
tinus  and  all  his  domestics  who  were  present. — His  last 
words  were,  *-I  cannot  say  any  more."  "Does  any 
thing,"  said  Spalatinus,  " lie  heavy  on  your  mind.^"    He 


Cent.l6r\  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S^l 

answered,  "No,  but  I  have  much  bodily  pain." — He  ex- 
pired, however,  hke  one  falling  asleep. 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

Erasmus. 

In  1525,  Luther  married;  thus  paying  more  respect  t'o 
the  word  of  God,  than  to  the  decretals  of  Rome. 

Erasmus,  the  antagonist  of  Luther,  dwelt  with  much 
virrulence  on  this  circumstance.  I  have  said  the  antago- 
nist of  Luther,  for  though  the  restorer  of  learning  per- 
formed essential  service  by  his  writings  against  monks 
and  friars,  he  injured  the  cause  by  his  excessive  desire 
to  be  applauded  for  politeness,  elegance,  and  moderation. 
His  views  were  evidently  secular.  The  weak  side  of 
Erasmus  was  his  disposition  at  all  times  to  court  the 
favour  of  persons  of  rank  and  distinction;  and  it  was 
through  their  incessant  importunities,  that  he  was  at 
length  prevailed  on,  though  with  much  reluctance,  to 
enter  the  lists  against  Luther. 

An  extensive  erudition,  a  perspicuous  and  eloquent 
style,  and  especially  an  exquisite  vein  of  sarcastic  hu- 
mour, marked  this  celebrated  scholar  as  the  proper 
champion  to  engage  Luther.  Accordingly,  neither  pains 
nor  artifice  were  spared  to  secure  his  services.  Princes 
and  prelates,  and  cardinals,  and  even  the  pope  himself, 
were  most  assiduous  in  touching  those  strings,  the  vibra- 
tions of  which  they  judged  most  likely  to  gratify  his 
pride,  stimulate  his  ambition,  and  awaken  his  natural  ti- 
midity. King  Henry  VIH.  of  England,  is  known  to  have 
intreated  him  to  commence  active  hostilities  against  Lu- 

Vol.  IT.  2  S 


322  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  8. 

iher;  and  the  pope  Adrian  himself,  in  two  memorable 
epistles,  condescended  to  act  the  same  suppliant  part. 

Nothing  could  be  more  grateful  to  Erasmus,  than 
to  be  thus  looked  up  to  by  persons  in  high  stations. 
"Princes,^'  he  tells  us,  "from  all  quarters,  exhorted  him 
to  write  against  Luther.  He  sent  a  trusty  servant  to 
England,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  a  suspicion  which 
had  been  injected  into  the  mind  of  Henry  VHI,,  that  he 
had  assisted  Luther  in  his  reply  to  the  king;  and  he  ex- 
presses great  satisfaction  that  this  step  had  been  attended 
with  much  success.  His  servant  was  rewarded;  his  old 
friends  were  increased  and  confirmed  in  their  affections: 
also,  Henry  and  Cardinal  Wolsey  had  even  condescend- 
ed to  make  their  apologies  to  him."* 

In  the  autumn  of  1524,  this  elegant  scholar  published 
his  dissertation,  called  Diatribe,  on  the  Freedom  of  the 
Will;  having  first  sent  a  part  of  the  manuscript  to  Henry 
VHI.  for  the  approbation  of  that  prince,  who  always  pre- 
tended to  a  considerable  degree  of  theological  acumen. 
Perhaps  the  author  hoped  by  this  flattering  attention,  to 
induce  Henry  to  engage  for  the  expenses  of  the  publica- 
tion; as  he  took  care  to  inform  his  majesty,  that  no  prin- 
ter at  Basil  would  dare  to  undertake  his  or  any  work 
which  contained  a  word  against  Luther,  and  that  there- 
fore he  must  print  the  book  somewhere  else.  "We  may, 
however,"  said  he,  "  write  what  we  please  against  the 
pope.     Such  is  the  present  state  of  Germany."! 

No  man  that  ever  lived,  perhaps,  was  less  disposed 
than  Martin  Luther  to  temporize  with  his  adversaries  in 
essential  points;  yet  in  the  instance  of  Erasmus,  it  is  ad- 
mitted that  he  exercised  extraordinary  patience  and  for- 
bearance.   The  reason  is,  Erasmus,  by  his  writings 

'  Ep.  1800.  t  Ep.  774.    Jortin,  322. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  303 

against  monks  and  friars,  had  been  of  considerable  ser- 
vice in  abating  the  attachment  of  mankind  to  popery. 
Moreover,  he  was  one  of  the  first  literary  characters  in 
the  world,  and  well  deserves  the  thanks  of  all  who  have 
a  relish  for  classical  learning.  No  wonder  therefore  Lu- 
ther, in  the  great  business  of  the  Reformation,  should 
have  been  anxious  to  prevent  so  much  weight  from  being 
placed  in  the  opposite  scale.  But  Erasmus  grew  every 
day  more  and  more  out  of  humour  with  the  Lutherans. 
He  had  repeatedly  declared,  that  the  church  wanted  re- 
formation, but  would  never  run  any  risk  to  forward  the 
good  cause.  Hence  the  reformers  became  cold  in  their 
regards  for  him;  and  he,  in  return,  beheld  with  pique 
and  jealousy,  the  rapid  progress  of  the  new  system. 

The  sagacity  of  Luther  pointed  out  to  him  distinctly 
the  situation  of  the  mind  of  Erasmus,  thus  puzzled  and 
distracted  by  a  contrariety  of  motives.  He  viewed  him 
as  a  man  of  letters  buoyed  up  by  the  love  of  praise  and 
the  patronage  of  the  great;  also,  as  flattered  and  caressed 
by  popes  and  prelates,  and  supposed  peculiarly  qualified 
to  support  a  falling  church.  Moreover,  he  was  aware 
how  Erasmus,  by  trimming  artfully  between  the  two  par- 
ties, had  lost  the  confidence  and  friendship  of  both;  and 
how,  in  his  present  state  of  irritation,  he  was  disposed  to 
do  service  to  the  Romanists,  and  regain  their  favour. 
He  wrote  the  learned  man,  a  masterly  epistle,  concern- 
ing which,  Erasmus  was  constrained  to  allow  that  it  was 
sufficiently  civil,  but  that,  for  fear  of  his  calumniators,  ho 
did  not  dare  to  answer  him  with  equal  civility.* 

Luther  answered  the  Diatribe.  Erasmus  rejoined  in 
a  work  in  two  parts,  called  Hyperapistes. 

Erasmus's  timidity,  double-dealing,  chagrin,  and  re- 

•  Ep.  803. 


324  *  HISTORY  OF  THE  (^Clmp.  8. 

sentment,  are  much  to  be  lamented.  Such  had  been  his 
tergiversation  and  versatiUty,  such  the  most  solemn  pro- 
testations of  the  sincerity  of  his  faith,  and  so  many  the 
ambiguous  and  satirical  effusions  of  his  wit  on  occasions 
which  could  not  but  give  offence  to  serious  and  pious 
minds,  that  it  is  not  easy  to  point  out  the  person  who 
really  loved  and  respected  this  otherwise  great  and  vene- 
rable character.  At  the  end  of  the  year  1527,  we  find 
the  Emperor  himself  writing  to  Erasmus,  and  telling  him 
how  great  was  his  satisfaction  to  have  been  informed,  by 
Erasmus's  own  letters,  that  the  madness  of  the  Lutherans 
began  to  decline.  "The  whole  Christian  world,"  he 
said,  "  was  indebted  to  him,  for  having  effected  that 
which  neither  emperors,  nor  popes,  nor  princes,  nor  uni- 
versities, nor  numbers  of  learned  men  had  been  able  to 
bring  about."  Notwithstanding  all  this  gross  flattery,  the 
Emperor,  in  the  same  letter  tells  him,  that  he  had  allow- 
ed the  Spanish  Inquisition  to  examine  his  books — but 
that  he  had  nothing  to  fear.  The  Emperor  was  fully 
convinced  of  his  orthodoxy.  However,  if  it  should  ap- 
pear that  he  had  made  any  slip,  or  had  advanced  any 
thing  ambiguous,  he  would  certainly,  upon  receiving  a 
friendly  admonition,  clear  it  up,  and,  by  thus  removing 
every  thing  that  could  give  offence  to  weak  minds,  secure 
immortality  to  his  writings.* 

It  added  not  a  little  to  his  mortification,  that,  about  the 
Same  time,  the  Faculty  of  Divines  of  the  University  of 
Paris  extracted  upwards  of  thirty  propositions  from  his 
writings,  and  censured  them  in  very  strong  terms.f  His 
letters  and  his  defence,  on  this  occasion,  are  inimitable 
specimens  of  the  author's  great  powers  of  evasion  and 

*  Erasmo,  1047. 

t  Du  Pin,  m.  240  and  335.    Also  Op.  Eras.  IX.  319. 


Cent.  IG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  325 

address.  There  is  in  them  an  artful  mixture  of  submis- 
sion, sarcasm,  and  menace.  Yet,  after  all,  the  situation 
of  Erasmus  was  such,  as  exposed  him  rather  to  ridicule 
than  envy. — Perpetually  calling  heaven  and  earth  to  wit- 
ness how  good  a  Catholic  he  was,  till  nobody  believed 
him;  despising  in  his  heart,  and  even  hating  the  Parisian 
theologians,  he  yet  condescended  to  make  an  ungracious 
sort  of  submission  to  them,  and  to  own  his  having  said 
things  in  his  writings  without  sufficient  caution;  and, 
lastly,  magnifying  his  own  merits  for  having  always  been 
stanch  to  the  church,  and  vilifying  the  Reformers  for 
their  heresy,  he  could  not  however  deny,  but  that,  in 
arguing  against  impieties,  he  himself  might  have,  in  some 
instances,  fallen  into  errors  of  an  impious  nature.* 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Spread  of  the  Reformation. — Predestination. — Diets. — Death  of 

Luther. 

John,  the  new  elector  of  Saxony,  conducted  the  reli- 
gious concerns  of  his  dominions  in  a  manner  quite  differ- 
ent from  that  of  his  brother  and  predecessor,  Frederick. 
The  latter  connived  at  and  tolerated,  rather  than  avowed 
and  established  the  alterations  introduced  by  Luther  and 
his  associates.  But  the  former  no  sooner  found  himself 
in  possession  of  the  sovereign  authority,  than  he  exercised 
it  with  resolution  and  activity,  by  forming  new  ecclesias- 
tical constitutions,  modelled  on  the  principles  of  the  great 
Reformer. 

New  regulations  were  introduced  at  Wittemberg,  both  in 
the  church  and  the  university.     The  sacrament  was  there 

•  Ep.  Coll.  Sorb.  Theol.  Hisp.  Sorbon.  Senat.  Par,  Bedds,  1031  to  1014. 


32 G  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  9. 

administered  to  the  laity,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  Ger- 
man instead  of  the  Latin  language,  on  Sunday  the  29th 
of  Oct  1525.*  The  regulation  of  the  public  service  of 
the  church,  and  the  appointment  of  well-qualified  pas- 
tors, was  a  matter  near  the  heart  of  the  reformer. 

The  landgrave  of  Hesse  became  a  convert  to  the  truth. 
Being  son-in-law  to  duke  George,  he  was  sanguine 
enough  to  entertain  the  hope  of  gaining  him  to  the  Gos- 
pel, by  writing  to  him  a  brief  exhortation,  full  of  piety 
and  affection.  George  sternly  replied,  "  That  he  should 
commit  the  cause  to  God;  for  that  after  a  hundred  years 
it  would  appear  who  was  right  and  who  was  wrong." — 
The  honest  landgrave,  like  most  young  converts,  had  not 
yet  been  taught,  by  experience,  how  exceedingly  per- 
verse and  obdurate  men  usually  become  by  being  long 
hackneyed  in  the  ways  of  Pharisaical  religion;  but  this 
rough  answer  of  the  father-in-law  was  an  instructive  les- 
son, no  doubt,  to  his  son-in-law  Philip.  The  same  an- 
swer produced  reflections  in  the  truly  Christian  mind  of 
the  young  prince  John  Frederick,  which  desei've  to  be 
remembered.  "  I  am  shocked,"  said  he,  "  at  the  senti- 
ments contained  in  the  letter  of  George,  especially  at  his 
saying,  the  truth  will  appear  after  a  hundred  years. 
What  sort  of  faith  is  that  which  requires  an  experiment 
to  support  it?  Assuredly,  there  is  nothing  of  the  nature 
of  faith,  where  a  man  will  not  believe  till  he  is  convinced 
by  experience.  St.  Paul  says,  'Faith  comes  by  hearing;' 
not  by  experience.  I  am  grieved  at  the  poor  prince's 
situation;  for  if  he  will  not  believe  what  is  true  and  right 
till  after  trial  has  been  made,  and,  also,  if  during  the  trial 
he  is  determined  to  refuse  obedience  to  the  word  of  God, 
he  may  defer  the  important  business  too  long,  that  is,  till 

*  Id,  p.  23. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.        :^  3^7 

there  be  no  room  for  repentance.  I  would  have  every 
proper  method  used  to  cure  him  of  his  attachment  to 
Popery,  if,  by  the  grace  of  God,  there  be  a  possibility  of 
doing  it.  But  I  greatly  fear  all  will  be  to  no  purpose; 
and  that  God  will  harden  him,  like  Pharaoh,  so  that  he 
will  neither  receive  his  Word,  nor  regard  his  signal  pro- 
vidences."* 

The  word  of  the  Lord  spread  and  was  glorified.  Many 
places  of  the  empire  publicly  renounced  antichrist: — pre- 
ferring the  Bible  to  Rome. 

All  this,  however,  did  not  take  place  without  shedding 
the  blood  of  some  martyrs. 

The  powerful  enemies  of  the  reformation  making 
many  preparations  that  savoured  of  an  assault,  the  elec- 
tor of  Saxony,  with  the  landgrave  of  Hesse,  and  several 
others,  entered  into  a  league  for  their  common  defence. 
Luther  steadily  opposed  offensive  war,  and  advocated  no- 
thing but  a  defence  against  the  popish  princes.  But  the 
diet  of  Spires,  which  was  much  suspected,  passed  off 
without  any  steps  being  taken  against  the  Lutherans, 
and  an  interval  of  quiet  again  returned.  This  interval 
Luther  improved,  as  usual,  by  promoting  the  holy  cause. 

In  1527,  took  place  a  visitation  of  the  electorate  of 
Saxony.  Sundry  directions  for  the  government  of  the 
church  were  published  by  Melancthon.  In  a  preface  to 
these,  Luther  showed  the  great  use  of  ecclesiastical  visita-\ 
lions,  and  censured  the  neglect  of  the  bishops  of  those 
times.  •  One  of  the  directions  defined  the  duty  of  a  su- 
perintendant,  an  officer  intended  to  act  the  part  of  bishop. 
He  was  directed  to  inspect  the  conduct  of  the  clergy  in 
his  diocese,  to  examine  candidates  for  holy  orders,  and  to 
admonish  defaulters. 

*  Seek.  U.  35. 


328  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  9. 

In  152S,  the  elector  of  Saxony  and  the  landgrave  of 
Hesse  made  preparations  to  attack  their  popish  adversa- 
ries, but  Luther  persuaded  them  to  continue  at  peace, 
and  wait  for  an  attack. 

.  On  the  delicate  subject  of  predestination,  Luther  al- 
ways displayed  great  moderation.  Content  with  what 
scripture  had  revealed,  he  never  undertook  to  explain  it 
with  any  thing  like  systematic  precision.  To  a  clergy- 
man who  applied  to  him  for  advice  concerning  it,  he 
wrote  thus: 

"Many  have  perished  in  the  indulgence  of  such  cu- 
rious inquiries;  it  is  a  temptation  which  leads  even  to 
blasphemy.  I,  myself,  by  giving  way  to  it,  have  more 
than  once  been  reduced  to  the  last  extremity.  We,  poor 
mortals,  by  faith  can  scarcely  comprehend  a  few  rays  of 
the  Divine  promise,  or  receive  in  practice  a  few  sparks 
of  the  Divine  precepts;  and  yet,  feeble  and  impure  as  we 
are,  we  rashly  attempt  to  fathom  the  majesty  of  God  in 
all  its  brightness.  Do  we  not  know  that  his  ways  are 
past  finding  out?  Instead  of  using  well  the  mild  light  of 
the  promises  which  is  adapted  to  our  faculties^  we  rush 
with  eyes  of  moles,  to  view  at  once  the  majestic  splen- 
dour of  the  Deity.  What  wonder  then  if  his  glory  should 
overwhelm  us  in  the  attempt  to  investigate  it!  We  ought 
to  know  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  secret  will  of 
God:  but  the  danger  is  when  we  attempt  to  comprehend 
it.  I  am  wont  to  check  myself  with  that  answer  of  Christ 
to  Peter,  who  had  asked  what  was  to  become  of  John; — 
'What  is  that  to  thee?  follow  thou  me.'  But  suppose 
we  could  give  an  accurate  account  of  the  judgments  of 
Almighty  God  in  his  secret  determinations:  what  advan- 
tage would  accrue  to  us  from  such  knowledge,  beyond 
what  lies  open  to  us  from  the  promises  and  precepts— 


Cent.  16.]    '  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  329 

from  the  former  addressed  to  our  faith — from  the  latter 
to  our  practice?  Tell  your  friend,  if  he  would  have 
peace  of  mind,  to  abstain  from  such  intricate  specula- 
tions. The  subject  is  incomprehensible,  and  tlie  study 
of  it  may  drive  him  to  despair  and  blasphen)y.  Let  him 
not  give  way  to  Satan,  who  would  weary  him  out,  by 
presenting  impossibilities  to  his  mind.  Let  him  exer- 
cise faith  in  the  promises,  and  obey  tlie  commandments: 
and  when  he  has  discharged  those*  duties  well,  he  will  be 
able  to  judge  whether  he  will  have  any  time  left  for  im- 
possibilities. There  is  no  other  remedy  than  to  neglect, 
and  not  give  way  to  such  thoughts;  though  this  is  a  diffi- 
cult tBsk,  because  Satan  suggests  the  absolute  necessity 
of  attending  to  them.  This  battle,  however,  must  be 
fought;  and  many  persons  fail  in  the  contest  by  not  sus- 
pecting their  thoughts  to  be  the  temptations  of  Satan; 
whereas,  these  are  the  very  fiery  darts  of  that  wicked 
ONE.  He  himself  fell  from  heaven  by  aiming  at  a  know- 
ledge above  his  station.  Thus  also  he  vanquished  Adam, 
by  teaching  him  to  be  dissatisfied  with  his  ignorance 
concerning  the  will  of  God.  Flight  is  the  true  wisdom 
here;  there  is  no  room  for  Christ  to  dwell  in  the  heart, 
as  long  as  reasonings  of  this  kind  are  uppermost."  In 
another  letter,  while  he  admits  the  preordination  and 
foreknowledge  of  God,  nevertheless,  from  Ezek.  xviii. 
23,  "  Have  I  any  pleasure  at  all  that  the  wicked  should 
die,  saith  the  Lord  God,"  he  argues,  that  God  chose, 
and  seriously  decreed  from  eternity,  the  possibility  of  the 
salvation  and  everlasting  happiness  of  all  men.  And 
hence  ho  concludes,  that  the  general  promises  of  »  gra- 
cious God  ought  by  no  means  to  be  limited;  nor  those 
suggestions  of  Satan  to  be  indulged,  which  would  sepa- 
rate us  from  the  Divine  mercy,  which  is  represented  in 

Vol.  II.  1  T 


330  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.9. 

scripture  as  infinite.  He  then  refers  the  afflicted  peni- 
tent to  the  voice  of  God  himself,  "  This  is  my  beloved 
Son,  hear  him;"  and  to  the  words  of  Christ,  proclaiming 
in  the  streets,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour/'  He 
invites  all,  even  the  very  worst,  as  publicans  and  harlots. 
Why  should  we  perplex  ourselves  with  difficult  and  cir- 
cuitous roads,  when  the  direct  road  is  so  clearly  pointed 
out  to  us  in  the  gospel?" 

A  conference  on  the  subject  of  consubstantiation  took 
place  between  Luther  and  Zuingle  at  Marpurg.  The 
violent  temper  of  Luther  on  this  occasion  gave  much 
grief  to  his  friends.  However,  sundry  articles  of  concord 
were  agreed  upon. 

In  1529,  a  new  diet  met  at  Spires,  which  published  a 
decree  of  intolerance  against  the  Lutherans.  Against 
this  decree,  fourteen  imperial  cities,  with  the  elector  of 
Saxony,  and  sundry  other  princes,  solemnly  protested. 
Hence  arose  the  term  protestant  applied  to  the  reform- 
ers. Charles  V.  was  so  enraged  at  this  protest,  that 
the  authors  of  it  thought  fit  to  draw  nearer  their  bonds 
of  concord;  and  they  formed  the  league  of  Smalcald  for 
their  mutual  defence. 

In  1530,  sat  the  Diet  of  Augsburgh,  at  which  was  pre- 
sented the  famous  confession  of  faith  sketched  by  Lu- 
ther,  and  elaborately  drawn  up  by  Melancthon.  At  this 
diet  a  decree  was  passed  against  the  Lutherans,  still  more 
violent  than  the  edict  of  Worms. 

But  Charles  was  so  busied  with  wars  against  the 
Turks,  the  French,  and  others,  that  he  was  not  able,  for 
many  years,  to  carry  on  a  persecution.  Luther,  too,  con- 
tinually strove  to  prevent  any  violent  measures  on  the 
part  of  the  protestants,  so  that  peace  was  maintained 
during  his  life.    Various  concessions,  however,  were 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  331 

gained  from  the  emperor,  and,  under  the  indefatigable 
labours  of  the  reformer,  the  cause  of  truth  spread,  and 
became  more  estabhshed  from  year  to  year. 

At  length,  his  health  liaving  been  gradually  declining 
for  some  time,  in  15i6,  Luther  closed  his  valuable  life  at 
Isleben,  the  place  of  his  nativity,  whither  he  had  gone, 
though  in  a  rigorous  season,  to  compose  a  difference 
among  the  counts  of  Mansfeldt.  His  funeral  was  cele- 
brated, by  order  of  the  elector  of  Saxony,  with  extraor- 
dinary pomp. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Bejormation  in  Switzerland, — Zuingle. 

Ulric  Zuingle,  or  Zuinglius,  was  born  January  1, 
1484,  at  Wildhausen,  in  the  county  of  Tockenburgh,  in 
Switzerland.  His  education,  which  was  liberal,  was 
completed  at  the  university  of  Vienna.  In  his  18th  year, 
he  became  classical  teacher  at  Basil.  Four  years  after- 
wards he  took  the  degree  of  M.  A.  and,  being  chosen 
pastor,  of  Glarus,  was  ordained  by  the  bishop  of  Con- 
stance. Having  been  trained  by  a  teacher  who  accus- 
tomed him  to  think  for  himself,  without  being  trammelled 
by  the  system  of  the  schools,  he  pursued  his  inquiries  to 
a  discovery  of  the  corruptions  of  Rome.  The  New  Tes- 
tament was  his  principal  counsellor.  He  made  that  the 
directory  of  his  faith,  and  he  also  attended  to  many  of 
those  authors  who  had  been  censured  by  the  papacy. 
But,  though  he  had  thus  become  dissatisfied  with  exist- 
ing errors,  he  did  not  immediately  separate  from  the 
pope,  but,  for  ten  years,  pursued  a  course  of  practical  in- 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  \_Chap.  10. 

struction  at  Glarus,  contenting  himself  with  exposing, 
from  time  to  time,  some  of  the  superstitions  of  the  church. 
From  Glarus  he   removed  to  the  abbey  of  Einsidlin. 
While  there,  he  preached  against  vows,  pilgrimages,  and 
offerings;  he  caused  the  relics  to  be  buried;  the  inscrip- 
tion over  the  abbey  gate — "  Here  plenary  remission  of 
sins  is  obtained,"  to  be  effaced;  and  he  introduced  among 
the  nuns  the  habit  of  reading  the  New  Testament.     He 
also  taught  the  necessity  of  purity  of  heart  and  life.     He 
became  more  and  more  eminent,  and  excited  more  and 
more  jealousy  in  such  as  were  opposed  to  reformation, 
but  his  ecclesiastical  superiors  allowed  him,  as  yet,  to  re- 
main unmolested.     In  1519,  he  was  invited  to  the  cathe- 
dral at  Zurich.     On  being  installed  there,  he  announced 
his  intention  of  preaching  from  the  gospel  of  Matthew, 
with  no  other  comment  than  the  scriptures  would  afford 
him.     This  novel  plan  of  expounding  fully  the  word  of 
God  drew  together  large  auditories,  and  excited  great  ad- 
miration.    The  iniquitous  traffic  of  indulgences,  which 
roused  the  spirit  of  Luther  in  Saxony,  was  carried  into 
Switzerland.     The  agent  whose  business  it  was  to  dis- 
pose of  these  lures  to  perdition,  met  with  great  success, 
until  he  came  to  Zurich;  there,  he  was  so  effectually  op- 
posed by  Zuingle,  that  he  was  obliged  to  quit  the  city, 
and  retire  into  Italy. 

Zuingle  was  a  man  of  adventurous  genius,  and  of  great 
intrepidity.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  penetration,  and, 
above  all,  was  learned  in  the  word  of  God;  so  that  he 
was  well  qualified  to  be  a  leader  in  the  cause  of  truth. 
So  sensible  were  the  papists  of  his  weight  of  character, 
that  he  was  much  courted  by  the  cardinals,  and  pope 
Adrian  sent  him,  by  his  nuncio,  a  brieve  written  with  his 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  333 

own  hand.     Moreover,  the  force  of  Italian  gold  was  tried 
upon  him,  but  he  was  not  open  to  a  bribe. 

Being  an  enemy  to  offensive  war,  Zuingle,  in  1522, 
obtained  the  passage  of  a  law,  in  the  assembly  of  the  can- 
ton of  Zurich,  abolishing  all  alliances  and  subsidies  for 
the  term  of  twenty-five  years. 

He  declared  the  superiority  of  the  rules  of  the  gospel 
over  those  of  ecclesiastical  discipline,  and  when  some 
persons  were  denounced  to  the  magistrate,  for  infringing 
the  fast  of  Lent,  without  a  dispensation,  he  defended 
them.     The  word  of  God  he  considered  the  authority 
from  which  there  was  no  appeal,  and  the  decisions  of 
the  church  as  binding  only  so  far  as  they  w^re  founded 
in  that  word.     At  length  he  openly  avowed  the  principles 
of  the  reformation,  and  when,  in  consequence,  he  was 
called  to  give  an  account  of  his  doctrine,  the  great  coun- 
cil of  Zurich  decided,  "That  Zuingle,  having  been  nei- 
ther convicted  of  heresy,  nor  refuted,  should  continue  to 
preach  the  gospel  as  he  had  already  done;  that  the  pas- 
tors of  Zurich,  and  its  territory,  should  rest  their  dis- 
courses on  the  words  of  scripture  alone."     But,  though 
he  was  thus  supported  by  the  magistracy,  he  appeared 
more  anxious  to  lay  a  solid  foundation  for  a  salutary 
change,  by  instructing  the  people,  than  to  hazard  too 
much  by  hastily  abolishing  ceremonies  and  modes  of 
worship.     In   1524,  the  pictures  and  statues  were  re- 
moved, and,  step  by  step,  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel  was 
introduced,  until,  in  1525,  the  mass  was  abolished. 

In  1525,  the  anabaptists  attacked  Zuingle.  They 
began  by  insinuating  into  the  minds  of  the  people  that 
the  reformation  was  not  sufficiently  spiritual.  They  then 
addressed  Zuingle  himself,  charging  him  with  conducting 
the  business  of  religion  in  a  slow  and  frigid  manner. 


IM 


334  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  10, 

They  insisted  on  the  necessity  of  adult  baptism  in  all 
cases,  and  declared  rebaptization  the  criterion  of  a  union 
with  Christ.  The  senate  caused  conferences  to  be  held 
on  the  subject,  but  they  were  in  vain.  The  anabaptists 
at  length  became  furious.  They  boasted  of  having  all 
things  in  common,  and  threatened  destruction  to  all  who 
would  not  follow  their  example.  They  also  pretended 
to  prophecy — crying  "Wo  to  Zurich!  Wo  to  Zurich! 
Repent  or  perish!'' — allowing  the  same  space  for  repen- 
tance that  was  allowed  to  Nineveh.  Other  conferences 
were  appointed,  but  these  fanatics  were  not  open  to  ar- 
gument. Finally,  the  senate  made  their  offence  capital, 
and,  a  year  or  two  after,  one  of  them  suffered. 

Zuingle  differed  from  Calvin  on  the  subject  of  the  Di- 
vine decrees,  and  from  Luther  on  the  manner  of  Christ's 
presence  in  the  sacrament.  Luther,  as  is  well  known, 
held  the  doctrine  of  consubstantiation.  Zuingle,  on  the 
other  hand,  regarded  the  Lord's  supper  as  only  comme- 
morative and  symbolical.  Between  these  two,  and  their 
respective  adherents,  a  vehement  controversy  was  carried 
on,  which  continued  for  several  years,  to  the  great  injury 
of  the  reformation.  At  length,  in  1529,  Philip,  land- 
grave of  Hesse,  anxious  to  close  the  dispute,  invited  Lu- 
ther and  Zuingle  to  a  conference  at  Marpurg.  Thither 
they  repaired,  Lulher  accompanied  by  Melancthon,  and 
Zuingle  by  Oecolampadius.  The  argument  continued 
four  days,  after  which  they  all  signed  fourteen  articles 
containing  the  essential  doctrines  of  Christianity,  and  ex- 
pressed a  hope  that  their  difTerence,  with  respect  to  the 
real  presence,  would  not  interrupt  their  harmony. 

The  canton  of  Bern  followed  that  of  Zurich  in  adopt- 
ing the  reformation.  In  an  assembly,  at  which  Zuingle 
was  present,  the  subject  was  discussed,  and,  so  triumph- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  335 

ant  were  the  reformers,  that,  in  conclusion,  the  grand 
council  of  the  canton  resolved  to  adopt  their  principles. 
Upon  this,  five  of  the  cantons,  who  were  attached  to  po- 
pery, entered  into  a  solemn  engagement  to  prevent  the 
doctrines  of  Luther  and  Zuingle  from  being  preached 
among  them.  But  the  hostilities,  between  the  Roman 
and  reformed  cantons,  were  terminated  by  the  treaty  of 
Coppel,  in  1529.  This  treaty,  however,  was  broken, 
and  a  battle  took  place,  at  which  Zuingle  was  present. 
The  Zurichers,  who  had  gone  to  the  relief  of  their  coun- 
trymen at  Coppel,  were  defeated,  and  Zuingle  was  mor- 
tally wounded.  His  wound  depriveil  him  of  his  senses, 
but,  recovering  himself,  "  he  crossed  his  arms  on  his 
breast  and  lifted  his  languid  eyes  to  Heaven."  In  this 
condition  he  was  found  by  some  catholic  soldiers,  who, 
without  knowing  him,  offered  to  bring  him  a  confessor; 
but,  as  he  made  a  sign  of  refusal,  the  soldiers  exhorted 
him  to  recommend  his  soul  to  the  Holy  Virgin.  On  a 
second  refusal,  one  of  them  furiously  exclaimed,  "Die 
then,  obstinate  heretic!"  and  pierced  him  through  with  a 
sword.  His  body  was  found  on  the  next  day,  and  the 
celebrity  of  his  name  drew  together  a  great  crowd  of 
spectators.  One  of  these,  who  had  been  his  colleague 
at  Zurich,  after  intently  gazing  on  his  face,  thus  express- 
ed his  feelings:  "  Whatever  may  have  been  thy  faith,  I 
am  sure  thou  wert  always  sincere,  and  that  thou  lovedst 
thy  country.  May  God  take  thy  soul  in  mercy!"  Among 
the  savage  herd  some  voices  exclaimed,  "Let  us  burn  his 
accursed  remains!"  The  proposal  was  applauded;  a  mi- 
litar)'  tribunal  ordered  the  execution,  and  the  ashes  of 
Zuingle  were  scattered  to  the  wind.  Thus,  at  the  age 
of  47,  he  terminated  a  glorious  career  by  an  event  deeply 


3S6  HISTORY  OF  THE  \^Chap.  11. 

lamented  by  all  the  friends  of  the  reformation,  and  oc- 
casioning triumph  to  the  partizans  of  the  Romish  church. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

France. — Geneva. — John  Calvin, 

John  Chauvin,  or,  as  he  is  usually  called,  John  Cal- 
vin, was  born  at  Noyon,  in  Picardy,  on  the  10th  of  July, 
1509.  In  the  house  of  a  noble  family,  he  received,  in 
his  childhood,  the  rudiments  of  a  liberal  education,  and 
along  with  the  children  of  that  family,  he  was  sent  to 
Paris,  where  he  advanced  in  learning  with  great  rapidity. 
At  the  age  of  twelve  he  is  supposed  to  have  received  the 
tonsure,  or  the  first  part  of  the  ceremony  of  ordination, 
according  to  the  rites  of  the  Romish  church.  He  was 
then  presented  with  a  benefice;  and,  in  1527,  with  ano- 
ther; which,  in  1529,  he  exchanged  for  a  curacy  in  the 
native  place  of  his  father.  Here  he  sometimes  preached, 
though  he  was  attached  to  the  clergy  only  by  the  tonsure. 
But  his  father,  anxious  to  see  him  prosperous  in  the 
things  of  the  present  life,  diverted  his  attention,  with 
some  difficulty,  to  the  study  of  the  civil  law.  At  the  uni- 
versity of  Orleans,  and  also  at  that  of  Bourges,  he  attain- 
ed the  first  rank  among  his  fellow  students.  As  a  mark 
of  high  respect,  the  faculty  of  the  former  unanimously 
voted  him  a  doctor's  degree. 

But  the  study  of  the  law  by  no  means  engrossed  his 
entire  attention.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  Peter 
Olivetan,  a  near  kinsman,  he  became  acquainted  with 
the  doctrines  of  the  reformation,  then  spreading  in 
France.     Obtaining  the  holy  scriptures,  he  applied  him- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  337 

self  to  the  study  of  them  with  the  greatest  assiduity,  until, 
at  length,  he  determined  to  renounce  the  superstitions  of 
Rome. 

While  at  Bourges,  he  occasionally  preached  at  Lig- 
iiiers,  a  small  town  in  the  province  of  Berri.  But  the 
death  of  his  father  suddenly  recalled  him  to  Noyon. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  prepared  and  published 
a  conmientary  on  Seneca's  epistle  concerning  clemency. 
This  he  did  for  the  purpose  of  impressing  mild  and  tole- 
rant principles  on  the  government  of  France;  as,  from 
observing  the  progress  of  the  reformed  doctrines,  he  anti- 
cipated much  persecution. 

Left  to  his  own  choice  of  a  pursuit  for  life,  he  re- 
nounced his  legal  studies,  devoted  himself  to  the  cause  of 
religion,  and  became  active  in  illustrating  and  confirming 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  in  the  private  assemblies  held 
at  Paris. 

Pursuant  to  the  advice  of  Calvin,  Nicholas  Cop,  rector 
of  the  university  of  Paris,  delivered  a  discourse,  on  the 
festival  of  All-saints,  animadverting  on  the  superstitions 
of  the  day.  This  gave  great  offence. '  Cop  was  obliged 
to  ily.  Calvin,  who  also  was  pursued,  escaped  by  being 
absent  from  his  lodgings,  but  his  papers  were  seized,  to 
the  great  hazard  of  many  of  his  friends,  whose  letters  in 
favour  of  reformation  were  among  them.  The  queen  of 
Navarre  interposed,  and  arrested  the  fury  of  the  inquisi- 
tion. Calvin  was  kindly  received  at  her  house;  and, 
through  her  intercession  with  the  king,  his  personal  safety 
was  secured. 

From  Paris,  Calvin  retired  to  Saintonge.  While  there, 
he  wrote,  at  the  request  of  his  friend  Lewis  du  Tillet, 
some  short  Christian  exhortations,  which  were  used  as 

VoL.ir.  2U 


338  HISTORY  OF  THE  .  IChap.  U. 

homilies  for  the  purpose  of  awakening  an  inquiry  after 
truth  among  the  people. 

In  1534,  he  returned  to  Paris.  "There  he  was  to 
have  had  a  conference  with  Servelus,  who  had  begun  to 
propagate  his  heterodox  opinions  respecting  the  Trinity: 
but  Servetus  failed  to  appear,  though  Calvin  attended  at 
the  time  and  place  appointed,  at  the  imminent  hazard  of 
his  life;  for  this  year  was  peculiarly  troublesome  and  dan- 
gerous to  the  reformed."  The  French  king  ordered 
eight  of  them  to  be  burned  alive,  and  "  swore  that  he 
would  not  spare  even  his  own  children,  if  they  were  in- 
fected with  such  abominable  heresies." 

Calvin  departed  to  Basil,  in  Switzerland,  where,  in 
1535,  he  published  his  celebrated  Institutes  of  the  Chris- 
tian Religion.  The  design  of  this  work  was  to  defend 
the  reformers  from  the  aspersions  of  the  papists,  who 
were  endeavouring  to  confound  them  with  the  anabaptist 
enthusiasts.  In  a  preface,  dedicating  it  to  Francis  I., 
the  author  endeavoured  to  soften  the  persecuting  spirit 
of  that  monarch.  This  preface  is  distinguished  by  the 
elegance  of  its  Latin,  and  the  Institutes  themselves  are  in 
the  highest  estimation  with  all  who  hold  their  views  of 
doctrine.  They  were,  in  subsequent  editions,  repeatedly 
revised  and  enlarged  by  Calvin,  and  have  been  translated 
into  a  variety  of  languages. 

After  publishing  this  work,  the  reformer  went  into 
Italy,  on  a  visit  to  the  duchess  of  Ferrara,  a  nursing  mo- 
ther of  protestantism;  but  the  inquisition  hearing  of  his 
arrival,  compelled  him  to  depart.  He  returned  to  France, 
but,  on  account  of  the  persecution  still  raging  there,  he 
resolved  to  take  up  his  abode  in  Basil  or  Strasburgh,  and 
pursue  his  studies  in  quiet  seclusion.  On  his  w'ay,  he 
found  the  direct  road  to  the  latter  place  impeded  by  the 


Cent.  IC]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  339 

troops  of  the  emperor,  then  invading  France.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  lie  changed  his  route,  intending  to  pass 
through  Geneva.  Arrived  at  that  city,  he  was  arrested 
in  his  course  by  the  reformers,  Farel  and  Virct,  who  en- 
treated him  to  remain  and  assist  tliem  in  ti)cir  labours. 
He  refused,  until,  at  length,  Farel  addressed  him  in  the 
language  of  imprecation — "I  declare  to  you,  in  the  name 
of  Almighty  God,  if,  under  the  pretext  of  love  to  your 
studies,  you  refuse  to  unite  your  labours  with  ours,  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  will  curse  you  in  your  re- 
tirement, as  seeking  your  own  will,  and  not  his."  Awed 
by  this  appeal,  Calvin  yielded.  He  accepted  of  the  office 
which  was  offered  him,  and  became  both  a  preacher  and 
professor  of  divinity.     This  occurred  in  1536. 

The  Genevese  had  lately  banished  their  bishop,  who, 
contrary  to  the  gospel,  was  prince  as  well  as  pastor,  and 
who,  moreover,  was  a  persecuting  papist.  They  had  also 
defeated  the  duke  of  Savoy,  who  claimed  some  authority 
over  them;  and  had  formed  themselves  into  a  republic, 
under  four  syndicks,  twenty-five  senators,  and  a  council 
of  two  hundred — the  ofiicers  recognised  by  their  ancient 
constitution.  The  principles  of  the  reformation  had  been 
spread  among  them  by  the  iabours  of  Farel  and  Virct, 
and,  in  full  assembly,  they  had  renounced  the  pope. 
,  Perceiving  that  this  people,  though  reformed  in  name, 
were  far  from  being  all  reformed  in  fact,  Calvin,  imme- 
diately on  his  settlement  among  them,  entered  upon  a 
course  of  active  labours.  He  prepared  a  formula  of 
Christian  faith,  and  a  catechism;  and,  in  1537,  with  the 
help  of  Farel  and  Corault,  he  succeeded  in  making  the 
senate  and  people  openly  abjure  the  church  of  Rome, 
and  swear  to  a  summary  of  doctrine  and  form  of  disci - 
pliae  which  he  had  drawn  up.     The  church  government 


340  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChup.  11. 

recognised  by  this  form,  was  Presbyterian,  though,  from 
a  work  written  by  him  in  1544,  on  the  subject  of  reform- 
ing the  church,  it  would  appear  that  he  desired  another 
— "  If  they  would  bring  unto  us,"  says  he,  "  such  a  hie- 
rarchy, wherein  the  bishops  shall  so  rule  as  that  they  re- 
fuse not  to  submit  themselves  to  Christ,  that  they  depend 
upon  him  as  their  only  head,  &c.  then,  surely,  if  there 
should  be  any  that  shall  not  submit  themselves  to  that 
hierarchy,  reverently,  and  with  the  greatest  obedience 
that  may  be,  I  confess  there  is  no  anathema  of  which 
they  are  not  worthy." 

But,  though  his  labours  were  thus  successful,  he  was 
not  without  difficulties.  The  anabaptists  endeavoured 
to  spread  their  disorganizing  tenets  at  Geneva.  With 
them,  he  held  a  public  disputation,  and  they  were  defeat- 
ed. One  Peter  Caroli,  an  outcast  from  the  Sorbonne, 
accused  him  of  heretical  iiotions  on  the  subject  of  the 
Trinity.  The  reformer  proposed  to  assemble  a  synod  of 
ministers  in  the  canton  of  Bern.  These  pronounced 
Caroli  guilty  of  defamation.  He,  however,  persisted  in 
his  charge,  and  was,  at  length,  banished  by  the  senate. 
But  the  greatest  trouble  arose  from  the  Genevese  them- 
selves. They,  had  sworn  to  uphold  the  principles  of  the 
gospel;  but  the  majority  had  not  yet  received  them  in 
their  hearts.  Many  wished  to  live  in  sinful  practices, 
with  none  to  molest  or  make  them  afraid.  Animoshies, 
engendered  during  the  war  with  the  duke  of  Savoy,  di- 
vided many  families  and  individuals,  producing  the  most 
injurious  effects.  Against  these,  Calvin  and  his  col- 
leagues preached,  and  exerted  their  official  influence. 
They  called,  also,  on  the  civil  authority  to  interfere  for 
the  preservation  of  public  morals.  But,  their  enemies 
were  only  exasperated;  and  the  more  violent  wished  for 


CeuM6.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  ^il 

nothing  so  much  as  to  rehcve  tliemselves  from  the  vigi- 
lance of  such  pastors.  A  controversy,  wliich  ai'ose  about 
this  time,  between  the  church  of  Geneva,  and  that  of 
Bern,  on  the  subject  of  ceremonies,  gave  the  disaffected 
an  opportunity  of  gaining  their  wish.  The  church  of 
Geneva  was  in  the  habit  of  using  leavened  bread  in  tlie 
eucharist;  had  removed  all  the  baptismal  fonts,  and  abo- 
lished every  festival  except  Sunday.  Of  these  things  the 
churches  of  the  canton  of  Bern  disapproved;  and,  by  a 
synod  held  at  Lausanne,  required  a  change.  This  re- 
quisition the  ministers  of  Geneva  refused  to  obey,  alleg- 
ing that  they  had  not  been  called  to  the  synod,  and  de- 
manding the  privilege  of  being  heard.  The  demand  was 
acceded  to,  and  a  council  appointed  to  be  held  at  Zurich, 
to  decide.  But,  taking  advantage  of  the  refusal  to  obey 
the  synod  of  Lausanne,  the  enemies  of  Calvin  procured 
an  order  from  an  assembly  of  the  people,  that  he,  witli 
Farel  and  Corault,  should  leave  the  city  in  two  days. 
"Had  I  been,"  said  he,  "in  the  service  of  men,  this 
would  have  been  a  poor  reward;  but  it  is  well.  I  have 
served  Him  who  never  fails  to  repay  his  servants  what- 
ever he  has  promised." 

The  banished  ministers  proceeded  to  the  council  of 
Zurich — the  synod  of  the  Swiss  churches.  This  synod 
directed  the  church  of  Bern  to  use  its  influence  with  the 
Gencvese,  to  revoke  their  decree  of  expulsion.  The  in- 
tercession was  made,  but  it  did  not  avail. 

Calvin  repaired  to  Strasburgh,  where  he  became,  once 
more,  professor  of  theology,  and  preacher  of  the  gospel. 
He  collected  a  French  church,  which  he  modelled  after 
the  plan  of  that  at  Geneva.  He  discharged  the  duties 
of  his  professorship  with  so  much  ability,  that  the  semi- 
nary at  Strasburgh  increased  in  celebrity,  and  in  the 


3 12  1 1  IS  TORY  OF  THE  [  Ch  dp.  1 1 . 

number  of  students.  In  1539,  he  published  a  commen- 
tary on  the  Romans;  and  a  small  work  on  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, intended  to  allay  the  controversy  between  the  adhe- 
rents of  Luther  and  Zuingle.  He  addressed  sundry  let- 
ters to  the  church  of  Geneva.  He  returned  an  answer 
to  an  able  and  eloquent  letter  of  cardinal  Sadolet,  to  the 
Genevese,  endeavouring  to  recal  them  to  the  Romish 
communion.  This  answer  so  unmasked  the  abomina- 
tions of  popery,  that  the  cardinal  was  completely  frus- 
trated. 

In  1540,  Calvin  was  married.  In  1541,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  divines  of  Strasburgh  "  to  attend  the  diet 
convoked  to  meet  at  Worms,  and  afterwards  at  Ratisbon, 
for  settling  the  religious  differences  which  had  arisen  in 
Germany."  While  there,  he  proved  highly  useful  to  the 
protestants  of  France,  procuring  an  address  from  the 
states  and  pri^nces  assembled  to  tlie  French  king,  in  be- 
half of  the  persecuted. 

The  lapse  of  two  years  caused  a  great  change  in  the 
face  of  affairs  at  Geneva.  A  desire  for  Calvin's  return 
became  general,  and  an  embassy  was  sent  to  entreat  him. 
He,  at  first,  refused;  but,  after  much  solicitation,  and 
some  intercession,  consented.  He  arrived  at  Geneva  on 
the  13th  of  September,  1541.  He  was  received  with 
gratulations,  and  the  senate  made  a  public  acknowledg- 
ment to  God  for  so  signal  a  beneilt. 

He  immediately  attended  to  the  subject  of  discipline. 
"  He  projected  a  kind  of  police,  and  procured  the  esta- 
blishment of  a  tribunal  called  the  consistory,  with  power 
to  take  cognizance  of  all  offences,  and  to  inflict  canoni- 
cal punishments,  even  to  excommunication.  In  cases 
requiring  the  infliction  of  severe  penalties,  it  reported  to 
the  council  of  the  city,  with  its  own  judgment  on  the 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  343 

evidence  adduced."  Considerable  opposition  was  made, 
but  Calvin's  system  was,  at  length,  adopted. 

The  course  of  labours  on  which  he  now  entered,  was 
extremely  severe.  He  preached  every  day  of  every  other 
week:  on  INIonday,  Tuesday,  and  Wednesday,  he  gave 
lectures  in  theology:  on  Thursday,  he  presided  in  the 
meeting  of  the  presbytery;  and  on  Friday,  expounded  the 
scriptures  to  the  congregation.  Besides  all  this,  he  car- 
ried on  an  extensive  correspondence,  composed  various 
works  of  controversy,  defended  the  reformation  against 
its  numerous  enemies,  assisted  the  council  of  Geneva,  by 
deciding  points  of  law  and  framing  edicts,  and  produced 
works  of  learning  and  ability,  intended  for  general  edifi- 
cation. 

"  The  deference  shown  to  Calvin's  opinions,  and  the 
respect  paid  to  his  personal  character,  were  astonishing. 
His  disapprobation  of  any  tenet  was  sufficient  to  procure 
its  rejection,  and  all  who  treated  him  ill  were  considered 
as  enemies  of  the  state.  Castalio,  having  attempted  to 
disseminate  some  doctrines  which  Calvjn  abhorred,  was 
instantly  denounced  as  a  heretic,  and  obliged  to  leave 
Geneva." 

In  1544,  he  published  a  work  entitled,  "The  necessity 
of  reforming  the  church;"  and  anotlier  "against  the  er- 
rors and  fanaticism  of  the  anabaptists  and  libertines." 
He  exposed  the  fallacy  of  the  position  held  by  the  liber- 
tines, that  God  is  tlie  author  of  sin.  This  last  work  of- 
fended the  queen  of  Navarre:  but  ho  succeeded  in  re- 
gaining her  good  opinion. 

The  vices  of  many  of  the  Genevcse  caused  them  to 
organize  faction  after  faction  against  the  discipline  of 
the  church.  Continual  attempts  were  made  to  wrest  the 
power  of  excomraunication  out  of  the  hands  of  the  con- 


34  i  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.U. 

feistory,  and  plac-e  it  in  the  senate.  The  reformer  was 
obliged  to  be  always  on  the  alert.  He  preached  closely. 
He  laboured  faithfully.  At  one  time,  a  body  of  the  dis- 
alTected,  led  on  by  Perrin,  had  gained  so  considerable  an 
advantage,  that  the  council  of  two  hundred  was  convoked. 
On  the  day  of  their  assembling,  September  16th,  1547, 
Calvin,  being  apprehensive  of  a  tumult,  went  to  the  coun- 
cil chamber.  He  found  before  the  door  a  noisy  crowd, 
whose  violence  it  was  difficult  to  appease;  and,  even  in 
the  hall  of  legislation,  it  was  only  by  his  thrusting  his 
body  between  their  contending  sr.ords  that  he  restrained 
the  combatants.  The  result  was,  that  the  consistory  was 
allowed  to  retain  its  spiritual  authority. 

Calvin,  from  time  to  time,  exercised  a  watchful  care 
over  the  protestant  churches  in  France.  As  early  as 
1537,  he  wrote  to  his  friend  Ceminus,  showing  the  dan- 
ger of  a  compliance  with  popish  superstition,  into  which 
some  were  falling;  and  also  toRoussel,  bishop  of  Oleron, 
exhorting  him  to  a  faithful  discharge  of  the  episcopal 
office:  and  he  continued  thus  to  counsel  both  individuals 
and  communities.  He  repeatedly  applied  to  the  German 
princes,  to  use  their  influence  with  Francis  I.  in  order  to 
procure  toleration.  And  when,  notwithstanding  all  these 
applications,  in  1545,  the  storm  of  persecution  burst  over 
the  valleys  of  Piedmont,  and  men,  women,  and  children, 
were  put  to  the  sword,  or  enveloped  in  the  flame,  because 
they  would  not  declare  themselves  papists,  he  extended 
his  protection  to  such  as  were  able  to  escape,  and  pro- 
cured for  many  of  them  an  asylum  in  Geneva. 

Calvin  had,  also,  considerable  correspondence  with 
the  reformers  of  the  church  of  England.  In  October, 
1548,  he  wrote  to  the  protector,  entreating  him  to  press 
on  in  the  good  work,  approving  of  what  had  been  already 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  345 

done,  and  giving  wholesome  counsel.  In  the  course  of 
his  letter,  he  drew  up  what  he  considered  a  summary  of 
Christian  doctrines,  in  the  following  words,  viz.  "That 
we  have  one  God,  the  Governor  of  our  consciences:  for 
the  direction  of  these,  we  must  make  use  of  his  law  alone, 
for  the  rule  of  devotion,  lest  we  bring  to  his  worship  any 
of  the  vain  traditions  of  men:  he  must,  moreover,  be  wor- 
shipped by  all,  according  to  his  own  nature,  with  the 
whole  mind  and  heart.  But,  since  there  is  nothins:  in  us 
except  a  miserable  corruption,  which  occupies  both  our 
senses  and  affections,  we  must  acknowledge  that  entire 
abyss  of  iniquity,  and  dread  it  when  acknowledged.  In 
this  manner,  having  obtained  a  true  knowledge  of  our 
state,  as  being  in  ourselves,  broken,  wounded,  lost,  de- 
prived of  all  dignity  and  wisdom,  and  finally  of  any 
power  to  do  good,  we  must,  at  last,  flee  to  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  only  fountain  of  all  blessings,  to  partake  of 
whatever  he  offers,  and  principally  that  incomparable 
treasure  of  his  death  and  passion;  by  which. method  alone 
we  may  become  entirely  reconciled  to  God,  the  Father. 
Purified  by  the  sprinkling  of  his  blood,  we  shall  be  as- 
sured that  none  of  those  stains  will  remain  in  us,  which 
would  cover  us  with  shame  before  his  celestial  throne. 
We  shall  be  persiiaded  of  the  eflicacy  of  his  perpetual 
sacrifice,  by  wliich  w:e  have  sealed  to  us  the  gratuitous 
remission  of  sins,  and;  qn  which  we  must  fasten  as  the 
refuge  and  anchor  of  salvation.  ,  Being  sanctified  by  his 
spirit,  we  shall  be  consecrated  in  obedience  to  the  right- 
eousness of  God;  and  confirmed  by  lu"s  grace,  we  shall 
come  ofl'  more  than  conquerors  over  Satan,  the  world, 
and  the  flesh.  Being  members  of  his  body,  we  shall  not 
doubt  but  that  God  will  number  us  in  the  family  of  his 
children;  and  we  shall  address  him  with  entire  confidence 

Vol.  If.      ..'::r        ■    .  -3  X 


346  HISTORY  OF  THE  ^Ckap.ll. 

by  the  legitimate  and  endearing  name  of  Father.  This 
is  the  design  of  the  true  doctrine,  which  is  ever  to  be 
preserved  and  heard,  by  all  in  the  church  of  God,  that 
all  may  sincerely  aim  at  this  work;  and  that  each  indivi- 
dual, gradually  withdrawing  himself  from  the  world,  may 
raise  himself  to  Christ  his  head,  who  is  in  heaven,  by 
perseverance,  prayer,  and  habitual  holiness."  "The 
door,"  said  he,  "  must  be  shut  against  various  innova- 
tions. The  only  means  to  be  used  for  this  purpose,  is, 
to  have  a  summary  of  doctrine  received  by  all,  which  they 
may  follow  in  preaching.  To  the  observance  of  this,  all 
bishops  and  clergy  should  be  bound  by  oath."  Again, 
he  said,  "  the  church  of  God  cannot  be  without  a  cate- 
chism; for  therein  the  true  seed  of  doctrine  is  to  be  con- 
tained, from  which,  at  length,  the  pure  and  seasonable 
harvest  will  be  matured;  and  from  this  the  seed  may  be 
multiplied  abundantly."  And  again — "As  to  the  for- 
mula of  prayers,  and  ecclesiastical  ceremonies,  I  very 
much  approve  that  a  proper  one  should  exist,  from  which 
the  pastors  should  not  be  permitted  to  vary,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  their  office;  and  which  might  consult  the  simpli- 
city and  ignorance  of  some  persons,  and  also  establish  a 
more  certain  agreement  of  all  the  churches  among  them- 
selves. This  would,  moreover,  put  a  check  upon  the  in- 
stabiHty  and  levity  of  those  persons,  who  might  attempt 
innovations,  and  it  would  have  the  same  tendency  as  I 
have  before  shown  the  catechism  would  have.  Thus 
ought  to  be  established  a  catechism,  the  administration 
of  the  sacraments,  and  the  public  formula  of  prayers." 

Along  with  this  letter  to  the  Protector,  Calvin  sent  one 
to  the  king.  The  correspondence  between  him  and  the 
reformers  of  England,  was  continued  from  year  to  year 


Cent.  Itj.J  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  347 

In  1552,  Cranmer  addressed  to  Calvin  a  letter,  of  which 
the  following  is  an  extract: 

"Thomas  Cranmer  to  Calvin,  greeting:  As  nothing 
tends  more  to  separate  tlie  churches  of  God,  than  here- 
sies and  di/Terences  ahont  the  doctrines  of  religion,  so 
nothing  more  effectually  unites  them,  and  fortifies  more 
powerfully  the  fold  of  Christ,  than  the  uncorrupted  doc- 
trine of  the  gospel,  and  union  in  received  opinions.  I 
have  often  wished,  and  now  wish,  that  those  learned  and. 
pious  men,  who  excel  others  in  erudition  and  judgment, 
would  assemble  in  some  convenient  place,  where,  hold- 
ing a  mutual  consultation,  and  comparing  their  opinions, 
they  might  discuss  all  the  heads  of  ecclesiastical  doctrine, 
and  agree  not  only  concerning  the  things  themselves,  but 
the  forms  of  expression,  and  deliver  to  posterity  some 
work,  with  the  weight  of  their  authority."  In  answer  to 
this,  speaking  of  the  importance  of  purging  "  the  pure 
doctrine  of  the  church,"  Calvin  addressing  himself  to 
Cranmer,  said — "It  is  especially  your  duty,  most  accom- 
plished prelate,  as  you  sit  more  elevated  in  the  watch- 
tower,  to  continue  your  exertions  for  effecting  this  ob- 
ject. I  do  not  say  this  to  stimulate  you  afresh;  as  you 
have  already,  of  your  own  accord  preceded  others,  and 
voluntarily  exhorted  them  to  follow  your  steps.  I  would 
only  confirm  you  in  this  auspicious  and  distinguished  la- 
bour by  my  congratulation.  We  have  heard  of  the  de- 
lightful success  of  the  gospel  in  England."  "I  know, 
moreover,  that  your  purpose  is  not  confined  to  England 
alone;  but,  at  the  same  moment,  you  consult  the  benefit 
of  all  the  world.  The  generous  disposition  and  uncom- 
mon piety  of  his  majesty,*  the  king,  are  justly  to  be  ad- 
mired, as  he  is  pleased  to  favour  this  holy  purpose  of 
holding  such  a  council,  and  offers  a  place  for  its  session 


348  HISTORY  OF  THK  IChap.ll. 

in  his  kingdom.     I  wish  it  might  be  effected,  that  learn- 
ed and  stable  men  from  the  principal  churches,  might 
assemble  in  some  place,  and,  after  discussing  with  care, 
each  article  of  faith,  deliver  to  posterity,  from  their  gene- 
ral opinion  of  them  all,  tlie  clear  doctrine  of  the  scrip- 
tures."    After  declaring  liis  willingness  to  attend  this 
synod,  Calvin  concludes,  by  saying — "  I  not  only  exhort 
you,  but  I  conjure  you  to  proceed,  until  something  shall 
be  effected,  if  not  every  thing  you  could  wish.     Farewell, 
most  accomplished  prelate,  sincerely  respected  by  me. 
May  the  Lord  go  on  to  guide  you  by  his  spirit,  and  bless 
your  holy  labours."^     Something  occurring  to  prevent  the 
proposed  council,  Calvin  wrote  afterwards  to  the  archbi- 
shop, "  Since  we  can  by  no  means  expect  at  this  time, 
what  we  so  much  desired,  that  the  principal  doctors, 
from  those  churches  which  have  embraced  the  pure  doc- 
trines of  the  gospel,  should  assemble,  and,  from  the  word 
of  God,  publish  a  definite  and  luminous  confession,  con- 
cerning all  the  points  now  controverted;  I  very  much  ap- 
prove, reverend  sir,  of  your  design,  that  the  English  should 
maturely  determine  their  religion  among   themselves." 
"It  is  especially  your  business,  and  that  of  all  those  who 
have  the  government  in  their  hands,  to  unite  your  exer- 
tions to  effect  this  object.     You  see  what  your  station 
requires,  and  more  imperiously  demands  of  you,  in  re- 
turn for  the  office  which  you  hold  by  his  favour.     The 
chief  authority  is  in  your  hand,  confirmed  both  by  the 
greatness  of  the  honour,  and  the  long  established  opinion 
concerning  your  prudence  and  integrity." 

The  enemies  of  Calvin  at  Geneva  still  continued  to 
assail  him.  They  heaped  upon  him  every  variety  of  in- 
sult. He  caused  them  to  be  arraigned  before  the  senate, 
and,  in  December,  1548,  they  renewed  their  oath  to  be 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  SllPP^ 

reconciled.  "  He  had  a  keen  controversy  witli  Jerome 
Bolseck,  a  Carmelite  friar,  who  impugned  his  peculiar 
doctrine  of  absolute  predestination,  and  openly  taught  the 
sentiments  on  that  subject,  which  were  afterwards  niain- 
tained  by  Arminius.  Tiiey  disputed  the  point  in  church; 
but  Calvin  displayed  such  a  superiority  in  argument  and 
erudition,  that,  in  the  judgment  of  all  present,  he  obtain- 
ed the  victory;  and,  according  to  custom,  his  antagonist, 
who,  besides  his  difference  with  Calvin,  was  of  a  trou- 
blesome temper,  was  first  cast  into  prison,  and  then  ba- 
nished from  the  city.'' 

Among  other  plans  made  use  of  at  Geneva,  for  pro- 
moting the  spread  of  the  truth,  it  was  decreed  by  the  se- 
nate, that  the  ministers  -should,  at  stated  times,  visit  every 
family,  attended  by  the  decurion  of  each  ward,  and  a 
ruling  elder,  and  question  each  person  summarily,  con- 
cerning the  reason  of  his  faith.  This  was  follovve^l  by 
the  best  consequences. 

In  1553,  Michel  SerVetus,  a  Spanish  physician,  who 
had  become  notormus  for  sundry  heresies,  being  con- 
demned to  death  by  the  papists  at  Vienna,  fled  for  his 
life.  After  wandering  for  some  time  as  a  fugitive,  he 
arrived,  at  length,  at  Geneva.  Calvin  caused  him  to  be 
apprehended  and  brought  before  the  senate.  The  charges 
against  him  were,  blasphemy  and  heresy.  Calvin  was 
appointed  to  hold  a  public  disputation  witii  him.  The 
senate  submitted  to  his  choice,  whether  he  would  be  sent 
back  to  the  papists  at  Vienna,  or  abide  by  their  decision. 
Servetus  chose  the  latter;  whereupon  he  was  brought  to 
trial.  The  charges  against  him  were  declared  to  be 
proved.  From  this  judgment  he  ap[)ealed.  to  the  four 
Swiss  churches;  and  to  them  the  senate  forwarded  the 
charges,  proofs  and  replies.    They  also  decided  against 


SjO  history  of  the  IChap.U. 

him,  and  advised  his  execution;  and,  accordingly,  on  the 
27th  October,  he  was  burnt.  Calvin  endeavoured  to 
have  the  mode  of  his  execution  changed;  but,  as  he  said 
in  his  letter  to  Farel,  he  hoped  the  sentence,  at  least, 
would  be  capital.  In  viewing  this  event,  we  are  led  to 
regret  that  the  principles  of  toleration  were  so  little  un- 
derstood. Even  the  reformers  appear  not  to  have  ar- 
rived at  a  perfect  conviction  that  prayer  and  sound  argu- 
ment are  the  only  legitimate  weapons  against  heresy. 

Bertilier,  clerk  of  the  council  of  Geneva,  having  been 
excommunicated  by  the  consistory,  appealed  to  the  se- 
nate, and,  that  body  deciding  against  him,  he  carried  the 
subject  before  the  council.  There  a  decree  was  passed 
in  his  favour,  in  which  the  senate  subsequently  coincided. 
Calvin,  who  contended  that  the  church  alone  had  the 
power  of  spiritual  censures,  went  to  the  church  a  short 
time  afterwards,  to  administer  the  sacrament  of  the  sup- 
per. Before  proceeding  to  the  distribution  of  the  ele- 
ments, he  resolutely  declared,  '-After  the  example  of 
Chrysostom,  sooner  will  I  suffer  death,  than  permit  this 
hand  to  administer  the  holy  things  of  the  Lord  to  those 
who  are  lawfully  condemned  as  despisers  of  God."  Ber- 
tilier declined  approaching  the  table,  and  the  senate  re- 
called their  decree. 

The  persecution,  which  arose  in  England  on  the  ac- 
cession of  queen  Mary,  having  driven  many  of  the  re- 
formers of  that  country  to  the  continent,  and,  among 
those  who  took  refuge  at  Frankfort,  a  difference  of  opi- 
nion arising  on  the  subject  of  the  liturgy,  Calvin  wrote 
exhorting  them  to  peace.  He  advised  them  to  make 
their  liturgy  as  pure  as  possible,  leaving  out  every  thing 
that  savoured  of  popery.  A  part  of  these  exiles  removed 
to  Geneva. 


Ceiit.l6.J  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  ^  351 

In  1554-,  a  controversy  arose  at  Strasburgh  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  eucharist.  This  Calvin  endeavoured  to  allay. 
In  a  letter  written  to  the  pastor  of  the  church  of  Stras- 
burgh, complaining  of  the  severity  used  toward  a  fellow 
minister,  be  says,  "  If  that  excellent  servant  of  God,  and 
faithful  doctor  of  the  church,  Luther,  was  now  living, 
even  he  would  not  be  so  severe  or  implacable,  but  that 
he  would  willingly  admit  this  confession,  that  what  the 
sacraments  represent,  is  truly  given  us;  and,  therefore,  in 
the  Lord's  supper  we  are  made  partakers  of  the  body  and 
blood  of  Christ.  For,  how  often  has  he  declared,  that 
the  only  ground  of  his  contention  was,  that  it  might  be 
manifest,  that  the  Lord  did  not  trifle  with  us  by  empty 
signs,  but  that  he  effected  within,  what  he  proposed  to 
our  eyes,  and  thence  the  effect  was  connected  with 
the  signs.  This  is  agreed  upon  among  us,  unless  I  am 
greatly  deceived,  that  the  Lord's  supper  is  not  a  theatri- 
cal spectacle  of  the  spiritual  food,  but  that  what  is  re- 
presented is  really  given;  because,  at  the  supper,  the 
pious  souls  are  fed  with  the  flesh  and  blood  of  Christ.^^ 
This  controversy  about  the  eucharist,  was  continued  with 
various  persons,  even  as  late  as  1561.  Calvin  wrote  se- 
veral tracts  upon  the  subject,  defending  and  explain- 
ing the  articles  of  agreement  entered  into  by  the  Swiss 
churches,  &c.  He  had  various  other  controversies,  as, 
one  with  Gribauld,  a  heretic,  who  was  banished  from 
Geneva.  Bolseck,  who  had  before  been  banished  from 
Geneva,  being  in  the  canton  of  Bern,  and  there  attack- 
ing anew,  the  doctrine  of  Divine  sovereignty,  Calvin  re- 
paired thither  to  contend  with  him.  The  result  was,  that 
Bolseck  was  ordered  to  depart  from  the  territory  of  that 
canton,  as  was  also  Castalio,  another  opponent  of  Calvin. 
The  two  senates  of  Bern  and  Geneva,  entered  into  an 


352  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  11. 

agreement,  that  those  who,  on  account  of  heresy,  were 
banished  from  the  territory  of  one,  should  not  be  allowed 
to  remain  in  tl>e  territory  of  the  other. 

In  1558,  Calvin  wrote  to  the  landgrave  of  Hesse,  en- 
treating him  to  intercede  with  Henry  H.,  the  successor 
of  Francis  on  the  throne  of  France,  in  behalf  of  the  pro- 
testants,  who  were  persecuted  with  the  utmost  fury; 
twenty-one  of  them  being  burned  alive  at  Paris.  From 
year  to  year,  the  persecution  continued  to  rage,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  the  truth  continued  to  spread.  Geneva 
itself  was  threatened,  but  the  storm  was  averted. 

In  1560,  a  new  seminary  was  dedicated  to  the  service- 
of  God,  at  Geneva.  The  buildings  were  large,  and  pro- 
fessors numerous.  Calvin  held  the  theological  chair,  and 
Beza  was  made  president.  Tiiis  institution  was  intend- 
ed as  a  means  of  spreading  the  doctrines  of  the  reforma- 
tion. 

The  persecution  in  France  driving  some  of  the  pro- 
testants  of  that  country  to  England,  where  Elizabeth  now 
shielded  the  reformation,  they  were  received  with  hospi- 
tality, and  a  place  of  worship  appointed  them,  in  which 
they  might  conduct  their  exercises  according  to  the  Ge» 
nevese  mode.  Grindall,  bishop  of  London,  especially, 
became  their  friend.  To  him  Calvin  wrote  in  the  most 
respectful  and  grateful  terms.  He  also  dedicated  to 
Elizabeth  the  last  edition  of  his  Institutes. 

Calvin's  life  drew  near  its  close.  In  1556,  he  was 
seized  with  a  quartan  ague,  which  continued  its  attacks 
until  he  was  reduced  to  the  greatest  debility,  insomuch, 
that,  in  1558,  he  was  obliged  to  omit  his  public  sermons 
and  lectures  in  theology,  though  he  still  devoted  day  and 
night  to  dictating  and  writing  letters.  "  How  unpleasant 
to  me,"  he  would  say  sometimes,  "is  an  idle  life."    In  a 


tknt.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  3J^ 

letter  to  a  friend,  written  in  15G0,  he  informed  him  that 
he  dictated  from  his  bed,   "where,  accordii>g  to  my  cus- 
tom, I  he  down  one  lialf  of  my  time,  that  I  may  be  able 
to  improve  with  more  strength,  the  remaining  honrs." 
His  active  mind  rose  si?perior  to  tlie  sufferings  of  his 
body.     When  oppressed  witli  head-ache,  weakness  of  the 
bowels,  and  the  pains  of  the  gout,  he  would  dictate  till 
his  amanuensis  was  wearied.     On  the  2d  February,  1 564, 
he  preached  his  last  sermon",  and  closed  his  theological 
lectures.     The  asthma  had  almost  destroyed  his  voice. 
His  end  rapidly  drew  nigh,     xlmid  the  severest  pains,  he 
was  patient  and  tranquil,  often  exclaiming,  "How  long, 
O  Lord."     He  still  continued  his  mental  labours,  and 
when  his  friends  expostulated,  he  said,  "  What!  would 
you  that  when  the  Lord  comes,  he  should  surprise  me  ia 
idleness?"     On  the  27th  of  March,  he  was  carried  to 
the  council  chamber,  where  he  presented  Beza  to  the 
patronage  of  the  senate.     On  the  2d  of  April,  he  was 
carried  to  the  house  of  worship  in  an  easy  chair,  and  re- 
ceived, for  the  last  time,  the  sacrament,  from  the  hands 
of  Beza.     On  the  25th,  he  made  his  will,  commending 
his  soul  to  God.     He  gave  his  parting  advice  to  the  se- 
nators, and  also  to  the  ministers  of  the  church.     He  had 
himself  been   perpetual  moderator  of  the   presbytery. 
"When  I  first  came  to  this  city,"  said  he,  "the  gospel 
was  indeed  preached,  but  the  affairs  of  religion  were  in 
a  most  disordered  state,  as  if  Christianity  consisted  in  no- 
thing but  the  destruction  of  images.     There  were  many 
wicked  men,  from  whom  I  suffered  many  extreme  indig- 
nities; but  the  Lord  God  himself,  so  strengthened  me, 
even  me,  I  say,  who  am  by  nature  so  timid,  (F  speak  a^ 
the  fact  is)  that  I  was  enabled  to  resist  all  their  efforts." 
"Persevere  then,  my  brethren,  in  your  vocation,"  foe 

Vol.  If.  "]  Y 


354  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICJiap.  V2. 

"After  this,  his  few  remaining  days  were  devoted  to 
prayer  and  meditation;  and,  on  the  24th  of  May,  he  cahn- 
ly  fell  asleep  in  Jesus.*' 

CHAPTER  XIL 

England. — llennj  VIII. — Cranmcr. — Uennfs  Ifivorce. — Foperij 

condemned. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
Vni.  England  was  reposing  in  the  arms  of  papal  Rome, 
implicitly  yielding  to  her  spiritual  despotism.  There  had 
been  some  contests  by  preceding  kings  against  the  exac- 
tions of  the  papacy,  but  these  had  always  ended  in  sub- 
mission, and  the  Vatican  reigned  lord  paramount  over 
the  souls  and  bodies  of  Englishmen.  The  shrines  of 
saints  were  visited  by  adoring  multitudes;  the  doctrine  of 
purgatory  was  an  inexhaustible  fountain  of  supply  to  the 
coffers  of  the  priesthood;  bishops  were  established  in 
their  sees  by  bulls  from  his  holiness;  appeals  to  Rome 
held  all  spiritual  decisions  in  durance;  images,  and  re- 
lics, and  miracles  abounded;  the  Bible  was  considered 
the  source  of  heresy;  and  ignorance  slept  at  the  foot  of 
superstition,  while  vice,  in  every  variety,  roamed  un- 
checked through  the  land. 

True,  there  were  some  who  possessed  copies  of  Wick- 
liff's  Bible,  and  received  its  doctrine  rather  than  the  de- 
crees of  cardinals.  But  they  were  poor.  They  were 
not  in  authority.  They  were  persecuted  by  the  domi- 
nant power;  and,  from  their  inabihty  to  act  with  effi 
ciency,  were  hardly  known  to  exist.  True,  also,  when 
any  see  became  vacant,  the  king  seized  on  its  temporali- 
ties, and  did  not  deliver  them  to  the  bishop  appointed  of 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S55 

Rome,  until  lie  had  sworn  allegiance;  but  Henry,  as  if  to 
destroy  this  remnant  of  supremacy,  surrendered  it  into 
the  hands  of  his  favourite  Wolsey,  who  was  the  pope's 
legate. 

Henry,  however,  appears  to  have  been  raised  up  by 
Providence  to  crush  the  power  of  papacy  in  England, 
and  prepare  the  way  for  retormation. 

In  the  fourth  year  of  his  reign,  a  law  was  passed  sub- 
jecting the  clergy  to  be  tried  by  the  civil  courts.  Here- 
tofore, they  had  been  amenable  to  none  but  ecclesiastical 
authority,  and,  such  was  the  universal  corruption,  that, 
whatever  crimes  they  committed,  they  usually  escaped 
unpunished.  This  law  was  violently  opposed  by  the 
whole  clerical  body,  and  nothing  but  the  determined 
spirit  of  Henry,  zealous  for  prerogative,  carried  it 
through.  The  pope  was  in  trouble,  and  did  not  dare  to 
resent  the  insult. 

Yet,  in  all  other  matters,  Henry  continued  a  most 
faithful  son  of  the  see  of  Rome,  during  the  first  eighteen 
years  of  his  reign-,  insomuch  that  pope  Julius  sent  him  a 
golden  rose,  and  pope  Leo  X.  gave  him  more  roses,  and 
made  his  favourite  Wolsey  a  cardinal. 

Wolsey,  though  a  bad  man  himself,  obtained  a  bull 
from  the  pope  to  reform  the  clergy.  His  real  object  was, 
to  pave  the  way  for  suppressing  several  of  the  monaste- 
ries, and  converting  them  into  colleges,  cathedrals,  &;c. 

The  convocation  of  England  was  usually  summoned 
by  the  king;  who,  with  the  writs  for  a  parliament,  sent 
also  a  summons  to  the  two  archbishops  of  Canterbury 
and  York,  to  call  together  the  clergy  of  their  respective 
provinces.  But  the  cardinal,  as  legate,  took  this  power 
into  his  own  hands.  In  1 552,  he  summoned  the  convo- 
cation of  Canterbury  to  Westminster,  to  reform  abuses 


35(5  HISTORY  OF  THE  {^Chup.  12. 

in  the  church.  Here  he  demanded  a  heavy  supply  for 
the  king,  viz.  one  half  of  the  full  value  of  all  livings  for 
one  year,  to  be  paid  in  five  years  This,  with  great  dif- 
ficulty, was  obtained;  but  it  enraged  the  clergy  against 
the  cardinal.  He,  however,  despised  them,  especially  the 
monks,  whom  he  looked  upon  as  idle  mouths,  of  no  use 
to  church  or  state.  They  were  indeed  numerous,  and 
generally  given  up  to  idleness  and  pleasure.  He  resolved 
on  suppressing  a  great  number  of  their  institutions,  and 
in  this  found  no  difficulty;  for  the  king,  being  a  friend  to 
learning,  had  no  objections  to  his  endowing  colleges  with 
the  spoils  of  monasteries.  The  pope,  too,  consented; 
and,  in  the  18th  year  of  Henry,  the  foundation  of  a  col- 
lege was  laid  at  Oxford,  and  in  the  20th,  that  of  another 
at  Ipswich. 

The  first  dawnings  of  reformation  in  England,  may, 
doubtless,  be  traced  to  the  days  of  Wickliif,  150  years 
antecedent  to  this  time;  for  then,  the  clergy  being  obnox- 
ious to  the  people,  on  account  of  the  rapacity  of  their  ex- 
actions, he  propagated  several  opinions  hostile  to  their 
power.  He  translated  the  Bible  from  Latin  into  Eng- 
lish, and  circulated  it,  with  a  preface  reflecting  severely 
on  the  existing  corruptions,  condemning  the  w^orship  of 
saints  and  images,  denying  the  corporal  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  sacrament,  and  exhorting  all  people  to  the 
study  of  the  scriptures.  He  died  in  peace,  though  his 
body  was  afterwards  burned;  but  the  followers  of  his  doc- 
trine, who  were  generally  among  the  illiterate,  were  se- 
verely persecuted.  In  the  reign  of  Richard  II.  a  law  was 
passed  subjecting  them  to  trial;  and,  by  a  statute  of  Henry 
IV.  they  were  condemned  to  be  burnt  as  heretics.  Under 
this  law  many  suffered.  These  martyrs  were  also  called 
Lollards.     In  the  first  year  of  Henry,  a  considerable 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  357 

number  were  arraigned,  and  s©me  were  burned.  The 
principal  charges  against  them  were,  refusing  to  believe 
in  transubstantiation,  auricular  confession,  pilgrimages, 
worship  of  images,  praying  to  saints,  and  purgatory. 

The  seeds  sown  by  Wickliff,  and  now  flourishing  in 
the  Lollards,  caused  the  doctrines  of  Luther,  which  were 
spreading  in  Germany,  to  gain  friends  in  England.  Many 
of  the  books  containing  them  were  translated  into  Eng- 
lish, and  widely  circulated.  This  made  the  rage  of  per- 
secution more  violent.  Great  numbers  were  proceeded 
against.  If  a  man  uttered  but  a  light  word  against  the 
constitutions  of  the  church,  he  was  seized.  If  any  taught 
their  children  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  ten  commandments, 
and  the  apostles'  creed,  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  that  was 
deemed  a  sufficient  crime  to  bring  them  to  the  stake. 
For  this  offence,  six  men  and  one  woman  were  burnt  at 
Coventry,  on  the  4th  of  April,  1519. 

Henry  employed  his  pen,  as  well  as  his  power,  against 
the  heretics.  He  wrote  a  book  against  Luther,  on  the 
seven  sacraments,  which  was  extolled  a^  a  model  of  ex- 
cellence. For  this  work,  he  received  a  pompous  letter, 
signed  by  the  pope  and  twenty-seven  cardinals,  and  the 
title  of  "Defender  of  the  faith."  But  Luther  treated  his 
book  with  great  contempt.  William  Tindal  translated 
the  New  Testament  into  English,  printed  it  at  Antwerp, 
with  some  short  comments,  and  sent  it  over  for  distribu- 
tion, in  1526.  This  was  denounced  by  the  papists  as  an 
erroneous  translation,  and  all  persons  who  had  copies  of 
it  were  commanded  to  deliver  them  up,  on  pain  of  ex- 
communication, and  incurring  the  suspicion  of  heresy. 
Many  other  books  were  prohibited  at  the  same  time; 
most  of  them  written  by  Tindal.  Against  some  of  these 
Sir  Thomas  More  wrote.    He  was  a  man  of  learnings 


358  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  la. 

and  an  enemy  to  the  ignorance  of  the  clergy,  but  a  bitter 
persecutor. 

About  this  time,  king  Henry  disputed  the  validity  of 
his  marriage  with  Catharine  his  queen.  She  had  been 
wife  to  Arthur  his  brother,  but  though,  in  consequence 
of  tliat,  he  had  procured  a  dispensation  from  the  pope  on 
marrying  her,  he  now  found  out  that  it  was  unlawful  for 
a  man  to  have  his  brother's  widow.  He  laid  the  ques- 
tion before  the  bishops  of  England,  and  they  decided  in 
favour  of  a  divorce;  and,  though  the  pope,  by  a  bull,  had 
sanctioned  the  marriage,  he  hoped  to  succeed  in  con- 
vincing him  that  the  bull  was  granted  oti  wrong  repre- 
sentations, and  in  inducing  him  to  revoke  it. 

With  this  view,  he  sent  a  messenger  to  Rome,  to  make 
his  application;  directing  him  to  secure  all  the  friends  he 
could  around  his  holiness,  by  money  and  promises.  The 
messenger  found  the  pope  imprisoned  by  the  emperor- 
He  presented  the  king's  request,  and  received  for  an- 
swer, that  the  divorce  should  be  granted.  But,  as  soon 
as  the  pope  was  at  liberty,  he  declined  fulfilling  his  pro- 
mise. The  emperor,  who  was  the  nephew  of  Catharine, 
and  violently  opposed  to  the  divorce,  had  him  still  in  du- 
rance. His  holiness,  however,  strove,  by  all  the  crooked 
arts  of  a  most  wily  policy,  to  satisfy  Henry  that  he  was 
his  friend,  and  that  he  only  wished  a  little  necessary 
delay.  Messenger  after  messenger  was  sent  by  the  king; 
bribe  after  bribe  was  given  to  the  cardinals;  subterfuge 
after  subterfuge  was  resorted  to  by  the  pope;  until,  at 
length,  two  legates  were  appointed  to  try  the  question  in 
England:  viz.  Campegio,  who  was  despatched  from  Rome, 
and  Wolsey.  During  the  whole  progress  of  the  applica- 
tion, Wolsey  was  using  all  the  earnestness  fear  could 
suggest;  for  he  had  pledged  himself  to  effect  the  divorce, 


{.kni.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  359 

and  he  well  knew,  I'roin  the  temper  of  Henry,  that,  if  he 
faileJ,  he  would  be  ruined. 

In  1529,  the  legates  sat  iu  England.  Instructed  by 
liis  holiness,  Campegio  delayed  the  proceedings  as  much 
as  possible,  and  when,  at  last,  all  things  were  ready  for  a 
sentence,  he  adjourned  the  court  from  July  to  October. 
Soon  after,  a  messenger  came  summoning  tlie  cause  to 
Rome.  Henry  could  ill  brook  all  this,  but  still  he  did 
not  entirely  break  off  from  the  pope.  However,  he  de- 
nied his  authority  to  cite  him  out  of  his  kingdom. 

To  divert  his  mind,  he  made  an  excursion  through  his 
dominions.  During  it,  he  lay  one  night  at  AValtham. 
While  there,  his  secretary  and  almoner,  Gardiner  and 
Fox,  met  with  Dr.  Cranmer,  a  fellow  of  Jesus  College, 
Cambridge.  Knowing  his  great  learning  and  solid  judg- 
ment, they  pressed  him  for  his  opinion  concerning  the 
divorce.  He  modestly  declined;  but  told  them,  it  would 
be  best  to  ascertain  whether  the  marriage  was  unlawful 
by  virtue  of  any  divine  precept,  for,  if  so,  the  pope's  au- 
thority could  not  make  that  lawful  which  God  had  de- 
clared unlawful.  He  thought,  therefore,  that,  instead  of 
a  fruitless  application  at  Rome,  it  would  be  better  to  con- 
sult all  the  learned  men  and  universities  of  Christendom: 
for,  if  they  pronounced  in  the  king's  favour,  the  pop& 
must  needs  give  judgment;  or,  if  he  refused,  the  marriage 
would  be  found  sinful,  notwithstanding  his  dispensation. 
With  this  proposition,  Henry  was  delighted,  and  immedi- 
ately sent  for  Cranmer,  and  received  him  to  court. 

Wolsey  was  ruined.  He  was  attainted  for  treason,  and 
shortly  after  died;  declaring  that,  if  he  had  served  his 
God  as  he  had  served  his  king,  he  woulll  not  have  been 
deserted  in  his  grey  hairs. 

In  the  parliament  that  met  in  1529,  there  were  bills 


360  HISTORY  OF  THE-  ICh-ap.  1^. 

passed  against  several  abuses  of  the  clergy,  and  many  se- 
vere reflections  were  made  upon  their  vices  and  corrup- 
tions. These  were  believed  to  flow  from  men  who  had 
Luther's  doctrine  at  heart.  The  king  promoted  this  at- 
tack, that  he  might  show  the  pope  what  he  could  do  if 
driven  to  extremity. 

Pursuant  to  the  advice  of  Cranmer,  application  was 
made  to  the  various  learned  bodies  for  their  opinions 
concerning  the  divorce.  Oxford  and  Cambridge  decided 
that  the  marriage  was  unlawful,  as  did  also  the  universi- 
ties of  Padua,  Bavaria,  Orleans  and  Thoulouse:  the  di- 
vines of  Ferrara;  many  of  the  Jewish  Rabbins;  the  doc- 
tors of  the  Sorbonne;  and  a  multitude  of  others,  in  Italy, 
and  other  parts  of  Europe.  Zuingle  united  in  the  same 
decision.  Calvin  afterwards  pronounced  a  similar  senti- 
ment. 

These  opinions  being  received,  a  letter  was  written  to 
the  pope,  by  the  principal  of  the  nobihty,  clergy,  and 
commons  of  England,  setting  them  forth;  complaining  of 
his  conduct;  and  threatening  that  they  must  seek  a  re- 
medy elsewhere,  if  he  persisted  in  refusing  a  divorce. 
The  pope  answered,  that,  if  the  patient  would  hurt  him- 
self, it  was  not  the  physician's  fault;  and  made  new  pro- 
mises. 

But  the  king,  wearied  with  delay,  published  a  procla- 
mation against  receiving  bulls  from  Rome.  He  caused, 
also,  the  various  arguments  against  his  marriage  to  be 
drawn  out,  and  published.  He,  moreover,  brought  all 
the  clergy  of  England  under  a  premunire. 

There  was  an  ancient  law  forbidding  any  one  to  exer- 
cise a  legatine  authority  procured  from  Rome.  Wolsey 
had  acted  as  the  pope's  legate,  and,  of  course,  all  who 
had  transacted  business  in  his  courts  were  involved  in  his 


Cent.  IC.}  CHURCH  OK  CM lUST,  3G1 

guilt.  Moreover,  tlicro  were  various  other  laws  passed 
in  previous  reigns  against  procuring  translations,  bulls, 
kc.  from  Rome;  all  which  had  remained  in  the  statute 
book,  but,  from  the  power  of  tlie  papacy,  wei'e  regarded 
as  a  dead  letter.  Against  all  these  had  the  clcrg)-  trans- 
gressed: but  they  had  done  so  with  the  king's  knowledge, 
and  oft  by  his  conmiand.  However,  it  was  in  vain  for 
them  to  frame  excuses.  Henry  had  determined  to  make 
the  court  of  Rome  feel  the  weight  of  iiis  anger,  and, 
therefore,  he  summoned  them  all  to  answer  for  their 
crime.  They  gladly  compounded  with  him,  and  were 
pardoned,  on  paying  a  heavy  sum  of  money;  viz.  the  see 
of  Canterbury  one  hundred  thousand  pounds,  and  of 
York,  eighteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty  pounds. 

In  1531,  the  convocation  gave  the  king  the  title  of 
"Supreme  head  of  the  church  in  England;"  and  thus 
another  blow  was  aimed  at  the  pope. 

In  1532,  parliament  passed  a  law  against  paying  an- 
nates, or  first  fruits  of  ecclesiastical  benefices,  to  the 
church  of  Rome.  This  law  was  left  subject  to  the  king's 
confirmation,  which  it  received  the  next  year. 

The  pope,  seeing  his  power  declining  in  England,  re- 
solved, at  last,  to  do  all  he  could  to  recover  it,  He  cited 
the  king  to  appear  at  Rome,  to  answer  to  an  appeal  from 
queen  Catharine  on  the  subject  of  the  divorce.  Henry 
sent  an  ambassador  as  excusator,  with  instructions  to 
excuse  his  not  appearing,  and  to  insist  on  the  preroga- 
tives of  the  crown  of  England.  A  plea  was  drawn  up, 
and  debated  in  the  consistory. 

While  this  was  in  progress,  a  bull  was  obtained  for 
suppressing  several  monasteries,  and  founding  six  new 
bishoprics. 

November  14th,  1532,  the  king  married  Ann  Boleyn. 

Vol.  II.  ^.  Z 


362  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIiap.  12. 

In  1533,  parliament  passed  an  act  against  all  appeals 
to  Rome,  declaring  that  the  upper  house  of  convocation 
should  give  final  decision  in  all  cases. 

Warham,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  dying,  the  king 
resolved  to  raise  Crannier  to  that  see.  Crannier  was 
then  in  Germany.  He  had  made  no  application  for  the  ap- 
pointment, and,  when  he  received  intelligence  of  it,  was 
much  grieved.  He  travelled  homeward  by  very  slow 
journeys,  that  the  king  might  have  time  to  reflect  ma- 
turely on  the  subject,  and  to  select  some  other  person. 
Henry,  however,  would  accept  none  of  his  excuses;  but 
was  rather  confirmed  in  the  high  opinion  he  entertained 
of  him,  by  his  great  humility;  and,  at  last,  Cranmer  was 
forced  to  yield. 

Bulls  were  received  from  the  pope  for  Cranmer's  pro- 
motion; for,  though  it  was  contrary  to  law  to  ask  for 
them,  the  king  resolved  not  to  break  off  entirely  from 
Rome,  until  he  was  driven  to  it.  The  pope  was  not 
pleased  with  Cranmer  as  archbishop,  for  he  knew  him 
to  be  the  familiar  friend  of  the  Lutherans,  but  he  did  not 
wish  to  precipitate  the  rupture  with  England  by  de- 
nouncing him.  At  his  consecration,  Cranmer  refused  to 
take  the  usual  oath  to  the  pope,  without  a  full  and  formal 
protestation,  that  it  should  not  bind  liim  up  from  doing 
his  duty  to  God,  the  king,  and  the  church. 

The  question  concerning  the  king's  marriage  was 
brought,  once  more_,  before  the  two  houses  of  convoca- 
tion, and  the  opinions  of  nineteen  universities  read  against 
it;  whereupon,  a  decision  was  given,  declaring  it  contrary 
to  the  law  of  God;  and,  immediately  after,  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury  proceeded  to  pronounce  sentence  of  di- 
vorce. 

Rome  declared  this  sentence  null,  and  threatened  the 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  363 

king  with  excommunication  if  he  acted  upon  it.  The 
king  appealed  from  the  pope,  to  a  general  council;  as  did 
Cranmer,  who,  also,  was  threatened  with  a  process.  Bon- 
ner delivered  this  appeal  to  the  pope,  and  lie  did  it  with 
so  much  vehemence  and  fury,  that  his  holiness  talked  of 
throwing  him  into  a  caldron  of  melted  lead,  and  he  was 
glad  to  make  his  escape. 

However,  in  consequence  of  the  mediation  of  the  king 
of  France,  Henry  determined,  once  more,  to  submit  to 
the  pope,  on  receiving  fresh  promises  that  the  divorce 
should  be  granted;  but  the  imperialists  precipitated  a 
fresh  decree  against  him,  which  separated  him  from 
Rome  forever. 

The  pope's  authority  had  been  now,  for  four  years, 
much  examined  and  disputed  in  England.  First,  his 
power  of  dispensing  with  the  law  of  God  was  controvert- 
ed; then,  the  clergy  were  convicted  of  a  iwcmumrey  for 
submitting  to  his  jurisdiction;  then,  his  right  to  annates 
and  other  exactions  was  questioned;  then,  all  appeals  to 
Rome  were  condemned: — So  many  branches  of  the  tree 
being  cut  off,  it  only  remained  to  strike  at  the  root.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  foundations  of  papal  authority  were  scru- 
tinized. For  nearly  a  year,  ttiere  were  many  public  de- 
bates about  it;  and  the  subject  was  long  agitated  both  in 
parliament  and  convocation.  Several  books  were  writ' 
ten;  particularly  "The  institution  for  the  necessary  eru- 
dition of  a  Christian  man;"  concluded  in  convocation, 
and  published  by  authority. 

At  length,  after  summoning  all  the  proofs  from  scrip- 
ture and  primitive  practice,  it  was  decided,  that  the  pope's 
power  in  England  had  no  foundation,  either  in  the  law 
of  God,  the  laws  of  the  church,  or  of  the  land. 

And  thus  did  the  Most  High  overrule  the  evil  passions 


364  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/k/jj.  IS. 

of  a  wicked  monarch,  to  a  discovery  of  the  rottenness  of 
the  root  of  that  bohon  upas,  papacy,  and  prepare  the  way 
for  dehvering  the  reahu  of  England  from  its  deadly  iniln- 
ence. 


CILVPTEIl  XIH. 

vMonaslcrics. — Six  Jrtlcles. — SfotlaniL — Tlie  Uihle. 

Though  England  had  renounced  the  pope,  the  work 
of  reformation  progressed  slowly.  Henry  had  written  in 
favour  of  Rome,  and  he  wished  to  appear  consistent. 
The  clergy  were  generally  unenlightened.  Powerful 
enemies  to  the  tiuth  were  active.  Much,  very  much,  re- 
mained to  be  done. 

Crannier  promoted  a  visitation  of  monasteries.  These 
were  at  an  early  age  very  numerous  in  England.  They 
were  robbed  and  ruined  by  the  Danes  in  the  8th  century, 
but  king  Edgar  re-established  them.  During  succeeding 
reigns,  their  number  was  increased,  and,  by  every  possi- 
ble means,  their  c'otTers  were  enriched.  Saying  masses 
to  relieve  souls  from  purgatory,  was  a  most  lucrative 
source  of  revenue.  So  general  was  the  belief  in  their 
virtue,  that  statutes  in  mortmain  became  necessary,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  greater  part  of  the  estates  in  Eng- 
land being  given  to  the  brotherhood.  The  shrines,  and 
images,  and  relics  of  saints,  were,  also,  profitable:  for. 
the  multitude  were  persuaded,  that,  pilgrimages  and  pre- 
sents to  them,  would  secure  an  intercession  in  Heaven. 
But,  the  corruption  of  the  monks  became  so  excessive, 
that,  from  the  12th  century  downward,  their  reputation 
abated.     .As  they  lost  ground,  the  orders  of  begging  friars 


i'enf.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S65 

rose.     These,  by  great  appearance  of  mortification,  gain- 
ed much  esteem.     They  were  not  as  idle  and  lazy  as  the 
monks,  but  went  about,  and  preached,  and  heard  confes- 
sions, and  carried  indulgences,  with  many  other  pretty 
little  things, — Agnus  Dei's,  Rosaries,  and  Pebbles;  which 
they  made  the  world  believe  had  great  virtue  in  them. 
There  was  a  firm  union  of  their  whole  order;  they  having 
a  general  at  Rome,  and  a  provincial  in  each  of  their  pro- 
vinces.    The  school-learning  was  wholly  in  their  hands, 
and  they  were  great  preachers.     But  they,  too,  had  be- 
come extremely  licentious;  and,  in  secret,  they  plotted 
much  against  the  king,  opposing  both  his  divorce  and  his 
supremacy. 

Henry  determined  to  suppress  the  houses  of  these 
monks  and  friars,  not  only  on  account  of  their  extreme 
wickedness,  and  their  enmity  against  him,  but  also,  be- 
cause, being  afraid  of  a  war  with  the  emperor,  he  wanted 
money  to  fortify  his  ports;  and,  seeing  the  great  advan- 
tage of  trade,  he  resolved  to  encourage  it  by  building  har- 
bours. Moreover,  he  intended,  pursuant  to  the  advice  of 
Cranmer,  to  erect  many  more  bishoprics;  that,  the  dio- 
ceses being  reduced  to  a  narrower  compass,  bishops 
might  better  discharge  their  duties,  and  oversee  their 
flocks;  according  to  the  scriptures  and  the  primitive 
rules. 

But  Crtinmer's  object  was,  by  the  suppression  of  mo- 
nasteries, not  only  to  destroy  the  fountains  of  belief  in 
purgatory,  worship  of  saints,  and  pilgrimages,  but,  also, 
to  obtain  the  foundation  of  theological  seminaries  for  every 
diocese. 

In  the  course  of  the  visitation,  abominations  were  dis- 
covered, so  great,  that  we  cannot  stain  our  page  witli 
their  recital 


1^66  HISTORY  OF  THE  [67;«;/.  15, 

In  153G,  Cranmer  moved  in  convocation,  to  petition 
the  king  for  a  translation  of  the  Bible,  to  be  sot  up  in  all 
the  churches.  This  was  violently  opposed  by  the  papists, 
who  insisted  upon  it,  that,  all  the  heresies  then  existing, 
flowed  from  the  use  of  the  Bible  by  the  people.  But  the 
petition  passed,  and  the  king  gave  orders  for  the  transla- 
tion to  be  made. 

The  suppression  of  monasteries  was  still  going  on,  and, 
the  farther  the  work  advanced,  the  more  iniquity  was 
discovered.  Many  signed  confessions  of  their  guilt,  of 
which  one  says,  "for  their  past  ill  life  the  pit  of  Hell  was 
ready  to  swallow  them  up — they  had  neglected  the  wor- 
ship of  God,  and  lived  in  idleness,  gluttony,  and  sen- 
suality." 

In  one  monastery  were  found  as  many  relics  as  could 
be  named  in  four  sheets  of  paper;  among  which,  was,  an 
angel,  with  one  wing,  that  brought  over  the  spear's  head 
that  pierced  our  Saviour's  side.  There  were  also  found 
some  of  the  coals  that  roasted  St.  Lawrence,  the  parings 
of  St.  Edmund's  toes,  St.  Thomas  a  Becket's  penknife 
and  boots,  with  as  many  pieces  of  the  cross  of  our  Sa- 
viour as  would  make  a  large  whole  cross,  a  piece  of  St. 
Andrew's  finger  set  in  an  ounce  of  silver,  with  a  multi- 
tude of  others  of  equal  veracity.  Many  of  the  images 
were  broken;  among  which  was  one,  that,  by  means  of 
springs,  was  made  to  move  the  head,  hands,  and  feet; 
this  had  proved  very  profitable.  Some  of  the  blood  of 
a  duck  was  found  in  a  phial,  which  was  thick  on  one 
side  and  thin  on  the  other:  the  people  were  taught  to  be- 
lieve this  was  the  blood  of  Christ,  and,  on  their  paying  a 
considerable  sum,  the  thin  side  of  the  phial  was  turned 
towards  them,  and  they  were  permitted  to  see  the  blood. 
In  Wales  there  was  found  a  huge  image  of  wood,  which 


Cent.  16,]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  367 

was  visited  by  five  or  six  hundred  pilgrims  in  one  day; 
some  carried  oxen  and  cattle,  and  some  money,  to  induce 
the  image  to  deliver  their  souls  from  Hell.  But  the  shrine 
of  Thomas  a  Becket  was  most  prolitable.  It  was  valued 
abundantly  more  than  the  shrine  of  the  Virgin  iMary,  or 
of  Christ;  for,  in  one  year,  there  was  offered  at  Christ's 
altar  SI.  2s.  6rf.;  at  the  Virgin's  6Sl.  5s.  6rf.;  but  at  Tho- 
mas's 832/.  12s.  od. — And,  the  next  year,  was  oflered  at 
Christ's — nothing;  at  the  Virgin's  U.  Is.  8d;  but  at 
Thomas's  954/.  6s.  Sd.  A  jubilee  of  fifteen  days  was  or- 
dained for  Becket,  by  Rome,  every  fiftieth  year,  and  in- 
dulgence icas  granted  to  all  that  would  visit  his  shnne. 
In  the  sixth  jubilee,  in  1420,  one  hundred  thousand  stran- 
gers visited  his  tomb;  and,  with  them,  an  immense  wealth. 
Henry  determined  to  unshrine  and  unsaint  him  at  once, 
for,  he  caused  his  shrine  to  be  broken  down  and  carried 
away,  his  bones  to  be  mingled  with  others,  so  that  it 
would  have  been  a  miracle  to  have  discovered  them,  and 
his  name  to  be  struck  out  of  the  calendar. 

In  1538,  an  edition  of  the  Bible  was  finished  in  Lon- 
don, and  the  king  gave  his  warrant,  allowing  all  his  sub- 
jects to  read  it,  without  control  or  hazard.  Cranmer 
rejoiced  that  he  saw  this  "  day  of  reformation,  which  he 
concluded  was  now  risen  in  England,  since  the  light  of 
God's  word  did  shine  over  it  without  a  cloud."  The 
printing  of  this  edition  was  commenced  in  Paris,  but, 
though  the  king  of  France  gave  his  permission,  the  clergy 
caused  the  press  to  be  stopped,  and  most  of  the  copies  to 
be  seized,  and  publicly  burnt:  in  consequence  of  which, 
the  workmen  and  forms  were  carried  over  to  England. 
Injunctions  were  given  to  all  incumbent  clergymen,  to 
provide  one  of  these  Bibles,  and  set  it  up  publicly  in  the 
church,  and  to  encourage  all  to  read,  it  as  the  true  and 


368  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CVm^  13. 

lively  word  of  God.  All  were  exhorted  not  to  contend 
about  it.  At  the  same  linie,  it  was  ordained,  that,  in 
every  church,  there  should  be  a  sermon,  every  quarter  of 
a  year,  at  least,  to  declare  to  the  people  the  true  gospel 
of  Christ,  and  to  exhort  them  to  the  works  of  charity, 
mercy,  and  faith.  Moreover,  the  clergy  were  directed 
to  instruct  the  people  in  the  principles  of  religion,  by 
teaching  the  creed,  the  Lord's  prayer,  and  the  ten  com- 
mandments, in  English;  and  to  inform  them  that  they 
had  better  omit  the  prayers  to  the  saints,  than  neglect 
the  prayers  to  God. 

In  1539,  the  papists  succeeded  in  procuring  the  pas- 
sage by  parliament  of  six  articles,  asserting  several  of  the 
worst  doctrines  of  antichrist;  and  these  articles,  all  were 
required  to  sign  on  pain  of  death.  When  this  bill  was 
about  to  pass  the  house  of  lords,  the  king,  who  knew  how 
displeasing  it  was  to  Cranmer,  desired  him  to  withdraw; 
but  that  faithful  soldier  of  Jesus  humbly  excused  him- 
self, for  he  felt  bound  in  conscience  to  remain  and  op- 
pose it. 

While  these  things  were  proceeding  in  England,  some 
light  began  to  beam  amid  the  cloud  of  superstition  enve- 
loping Scotland.  Having  received  her  learning  and  learn- 
ed men  from  France,  she  still  continued  closely  connect- 
ed with  that  kingdom.  True  religion  had,  from  age  to 
age,  been  persecuted.  In  1407,  John  Resby,  a  Wick- 
liflite,  was  burnt;  and,  in  1432,  John  Crew,  a  Hussite. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  15th  century,  many  Lollards 
were  found  in  the  western  parts,  bordering  on  England; 
among  whom  were  several  persons  of  quality:  of  these, 
some  were  questioned,  but  discharged.  Patrick  Hamil- 
ton, a  man  of  noble  blood,  having  adopted  and  preached 
Luther's  doctrine,  was  burned,  with  many  others. 


rent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S(J9 

But,  notwithstanding  these  violent  proceedings,  llie 
doctrines  of  reformation  spread.  Many,  by  reading  the 
scriptures,  arrived  at  a  knowledge  of  the  truth;  and  the 
noise  of  what  was  doing  in  England,  led  others  to  inquire 
concerning  religion. 

Tiie  Scotch  king  yielded  himself  a  prey  to  luxury  and 
extravagance.  The  popish  priests,  generally,  were  igno- 
rant and  dissolute.  The  bishop  of  Dunkeld,  reproving 
one  of  his  clergy,  for  being  a  zealous  preacher,  told  him, 
'' he  thaidied  God  he  had  lived  well  these  many  years, 
and  never  knew  either  tiie  Old  or  New  Testament;  and 
if  the  other  would  trouble  himself  with  these  fantasies,  he 
would  repent  it  when  he  could  not  help  it."  No  pains 
were  taken  to  instruct  the  people,  and  no  children  were 
catechised. 

Henry  repeatedly  endeavoured  to  bring  the  king  of 
Scotland  into  a  league  with  him  against  the  pope,  but  in 
vain.  Persecution  still  raged;  but  '"the  blood  of  the 
martyrs  was  the  seed  of  the  church." 

A  new  edition  of  tiic  Bible  was  published  in  the  33d 
year  of  Henry,  doubtless  through  the  influence  of  Cran- 
mer.  Some  of  these  Bibles  were  chained  to  pillars  in 
the  church  at  London,  with  an  exhortation  written,  ad- 
monishing all  that  came  thither  to  read,  "  that  they  should 
lay  aside  vain-glory,  hypocrisy,  and  all  other  corrupt  af- 
fections, and  bring  with  them  discretion,  good  intentions, 
charity,  reverence,  and  a  quiet  behaviour,  for  the  edifi- 
cation of  their  own  souls;  but  not  to  draw  multitudes  after 
them;  nor  to  make  expositions  of  what  they  read;  nor  to 
read  aloud,  nor  make  noise  in  time  of  divine  service;  nor 
enter  into  disputes  concerning  it."  But  the  people  came, 
generally,  to  hear  the  scriptures  read;  and  such  as  could 
read,  and  had  clesr  voices,  came  often  with  great  crowds 

Vol.  IL  3  \ 


370  HISTORY  OF  TllK  '[Chap.  14 

around  (hcin.  Many  sent  their  children  to  school,  that 
they  might  carry  them  to  St.  Paul's,  and  hear  them  read 
the  scriptures.  And  many  could  scarce  refrain  from  dis- 
puting, especially  when  they  read  of  the  institution  of  the 
sacrament,  and  saw  the  command — Drink  ye  all  of  litis, 
— a  command  which  militated  so  directly  against  the  po- 
pish mode  of  administration;  also,  when  they  saw  Paul's 
discourse  against  having  worship  in  an  unknown  tongue. 
Bonner  complained,  and  threatened  to  remove  the  Bibles 
out  of  the  church,  if  the  people  continued  to  abuse  so 
high  a  favour. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

lilaspliemy  of  .Antichrist. — Cranmer. 

Cranmeu  often  pressed,  w^ith  great  vehemence,  the 
drawing  up  a  body  of  ecclesiastical  laws  for  England;  the 
canon  law  of  Rome  then  in  force,  being,  in  many  re- 
spects, not  only  improper,  but  blasphemous;  as  will  be 
seen  by  the  following  extracts-^-viz: 

"  He  that  acknowledgeth  not  himself  to  be  under  the 
bishop  of  Rome,  and  that  the  bishop  of  Rome  is  ordain- 
ed by  God  to  have  primacy  over  all  the  world,  is  an  he- 
retic, and  cannot  be  saved,  nor  is  not  of  the  flock  oi 
(Christ 

"All  the  decrees  of  the  bishop  of  Rome  ought  to  be 
kept  perpetually  of  every  man,  as  God's  Word,  spoken 
by  the  mouth  of  St.  Peter;  and  wdiosoever  doth  not  re- 
ceive them,  they  blaspheme  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  shall 
have  no  forgiveness, 

"  The  see  of  Rome  hath  neither  spot  nor  wrinkle  in 
it,  nor  cannot  err. 


Cenl.l6r\  CnURCIl  OF  CHRIST.  371 

"Notliing  may  be  done  against  liiin  that  appealelli 
unto  Rome. 

"  The  bishop  of  Rome  may  be  judged  of  none,  but  of 
God  only;  for  although  lie  neither  regard  his  own  salva- 
tion, nor  no  man's  else^  but  draw  down  with  himself  in- 
numerable people  by  heaps  unto  Hell,  yet  niay  no  mortal 
man  in  this  world  presume  to  reprehend  bin);  Ibrasmuch 
as  he  is  called  God,  he  may  not  be  judged  of  man,  for 
God  may  be  judged  of  no  man. 

"The  bisiiop  of  Rome  may  open  and  shut  Heaven 
unto  men. 

"  The  see  of  Rome  receiveth  holy  men,  or  else  makelh 
them  holy. 

"  It  appertaineth  to  the  bishop  of  Rome  to  judge  wiiich 
oaths  ought  to  be  kept,  and  which  not. 

"  Whosoever  teacheth  or  thinketh  of  the  sacraments, 
otherwise  than  the  see  of  Rome  doth  teach  and  observe, 
be  excommunicate. 

"  He  is  no  manslayer,  that  slayeth  a  man  which  is  ex- 
communicate. 

"A  penitent  person  can  have  no  remission  of  his  sin, 
but  by  supplication  of  the  priests." 

Surely,  this  is  " exalting  himself  above  all  that  is  called 
God,  and,  as  God,  sitting  in  the  temple  of  God." 

In  1514,  Henry  ordered  that  the  prayers  for  the  pro- 
fessions, and  the  litanies,  sliould  be  translated  into  Eng- 
lish. This  was  peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  reformers,  as 
they  hoped  that  all  the  other  oftices  would  follow,  and  the 
whole  service  be  enjoyed  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 

In  1545,  Cranmer  was  strengthened  by  tiic  appoint- 
ment of  several  reforming  bishops. 

In  1546,  an  arrangement  was  made,  between  the  king 
and  the  French  admiral  AnucbauU,  for  carrying  on  the 


37^  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIuqj.  14. 

reformation  in  both  England  and  France.  It  was  agreed, 
that  the  mass  should  be  changed  for  a  communion,  and 
Cranmer  was  ordered  to  draw  up  a  form  of  it;  but  this 
fell  to  the  ground. 

Amid  all  the  violence  of  Henry's  passions,  he  retained 
liis  respect  for  Cranmer.  Whoever  suffered,  Cranmer 
was  defended.  This  arose  from  no  time-serving  spirit  on 
the  part  of  the  reformer.  He  not  unfrequently  threw 
himself  between  the  monarch  and  the  devoted  victims  of 
persecution.  The  Almighty  arm  of  that  God  who  de- 
sinned  Cranmer  to  be  the  distinscuished  instrument  of 
good,  interposed  for  his  protection.  Once  Henry  pre- 
tended to  accede  to  the  designs  of  Cranmer's  enemies, 
that  he  might  ascertain  how  far  they  would  go.  He  gave 
permission  for  them  to  summon  him  before  the  council; 
but,  daring  the  night  previous,  sent  for  him,  and  made 
known  the  plot.  Cranmer,  with  great  candour  and  ho- 
nest simplicity,  offered  himself  for  trial,  and  requested 
that  judges  might  be  appointed.  The  king  told  him,  he 
was  "a  fool,  that  looked  to  his  own  safety  so  little:  did 
he  think  false  witnesses  would  not  be  procured? — there- 
fore, since  he  did  not  take  care  of  himself,  he  would  see 
to  it."  He  gave  him  his  seal-ring,  and  directed  him  to 
show  that  to  his  enemies,  if  they  proceeded  improperly 
in  council.  In  the  nsorning,  Cranmer  was  summoned. 
He  was  kept  waiting  at  tlie  door  of  the  council  chamber, 
until  a  message  from  the  king  made  them  call  him  in; 
but  when,  at  length,  he  showed  them  the  ring,  they  were 
thrown  into  great  confusion,  and  ran  instantly  to  the  king, 
to  beg  his  pardon.  The  king  ciiid  them  sharply,  and 
protested  by  the  faith  he  owed  to  God,  laying  his  hand 
on  his  Bible,  that  if  a  prince  could  be  obliged  by  his  sub- 
ject, he  was  by  the  archbishop  ;  and  that  he  took  him  to 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  373 

be  the  most  faithful  subject  lie  had,  and  the  person  to 
whom  he  was  most  beholden:  saying,  moreover,  he  would 
not  suffer  men,  who  were  so  dear  to  him,  to  be  handled 
in  that  fashion,  and  comuianding  tliem  all  to  be  reconciled 
to  Cranmcr. 

Thus,  while  the  lesser  props  of  the  reformation  was 
assaulted  without  mercy,  its  main  pillar  was  continually 
preserved.  Truly,  "it  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  marvel- 
lous in  our  eyes."' 

At  length,  the  long  and  eventful  reign  of  Henry  drew 
near  its  close.  His  arguments  and  his  quarrels,  with 
papists  and  with  protestants,  approached  their  final  ter- 
mination.    In  1547,  he  died. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

■Eihvard. — Homilies, — Bishops. — Liturgy. — Anabaptists. — Or- 
dination. 

During  the  reign  of  king  Edward,  the  reformation  ad- 
vanced with  rapidity.  Cranmer  being  chief  in  influence, 
the  trumpery  of  will-worship  was  swept  away  with  ease. 
Gardiner,  Bonner,  and  some  others,  opposed,  but  with- 
out effect.  One  of  the  chief  difficulties  under  which  the 
reformers  laboured,  was  the  want  of  a  sufTicicnt  number 
of  pious,  learned  clergymen.  To  remedy  this  evil,  they 
drew  up  several  homilies,  or  sermons,  on  the  most  essen- 
tial doctrines  and  duties  of  religion,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  read  in  the  churches  throughout  England. 
They,  also,  endeavoured  to  supply  the  people  with  such 
other  books,  as  might  help  to  an  understanding  of  the 
scriptures;    besides,    they    selected    the    most    eminent 


574  11181 ORY  OF  TH-E  ICkap.  15, 

preaclieps,  and  sent  them  to  take  the  tour  of  the  country. 
These  preachers  accompanied  the  visiters,  who,  after  the 
example  of  those  sent  by  Henry,  traversed  the  dioceses, 
with  injunctions  to  be  obeyed,  and  articles  to  be  observed. 

The  parh'ament,  which  sat  in  November,  1517,  rev- 
pealed  all  the  severe  laws  on  \he  subject  of  religion,  es- 
pecially those  concerning  Lollardies,  and  the  act  of  the 
six  articles. 

Cranmer  exhorted  the  clergy,  in  convocation,  to  give 
themselves  much  to  the  study  of  the  scriptures,  and  to 
consider  seriously  what  things  were  in  the  church  that 
needed  reformation,  in  order  that  all  the  popish  trash, 
yet  remaining,  might  be  cast  out. 

The  mode  of  choosing  bishops  was  changed  from 
Conge  d'Elire,  to  appointments  by  king's  letters  patent: 
—after  which  they  were  to  be  consecrated. 

In  primitive  days,  bishops  were  chosen,  and  ordained, 
by  other  bishops,  as  Timothy  and  Titus  by  Paul.  After- 
wards, when  the  church  was  established  under  the  em- 
perors, the  people  voted  by  multitudes  in  the  election  of 
bishops.  This  being  found  a  great  inconvenience,  from 
the  tumults  that  occasionally  took  place,  the  inferior  clergy 
chose  their  bishops;  but,  generally,  the  bishops  of  the 
province  made  the  choice,  yet  in  such  manner,  as  to 
obtain  the  consent  of  the  clergy  and  people,  and  subject 
to  the  will  of  the  emperor.  This  dependence  on  the 
temporal  prince,  the  pope  destroyed,  ordaining  that  the 
canons,  secular  and  regular,  should  choose  their  bishops, 
and  that  this  choice  should  be  confirmed  at  Rome.  King 
Henry  had  continued  the  mode  of  election  by  the  clergy, 
only  putting  himself  in  the  place  of  the  pope,  to  confirm 
or  annul;  but  now  it  was  thought  more  ingenuous  for  the 


Cent.  16.']  C|iUllClI  01'^  CHRIST.  375 

king  to  nominate  llicbisliops  directly,  than  nndcr  tiic  thin 
Govei[;t  of  an  involuntary  election. 

The  relbrniation  of  the  service  occupied  much  atten- 
tion. ''  In  the  primitive  church,  after  the  extraordinary 
gifts  ceased,  the  bishops  of  the  several  churches  put  their 
^  offices  and  prayers  into  such  method,  as  was  nearest  to 
what  tjjey  had  heard  as  remembered  from  the  apostles. 
And  these  liturgies  were  called  by  the  apostles'  names 
from  whose  forms  they  were  composed;  as  that  of  Jeru- 
salem carried  the  name  of  St.  James,"  &c.  ''  The  coun- 
cil of  Laodicea  appointed  the  same  office  to  be  used  in 
the  mornings  and  evenings.  The  bishops  continued  to 
draw  up  new  additions,  and  to  put  old  forms  into  other 
methods.  This  was  left  to  every  bishop's  care,  until,  in 
the  days  of  St.  Austin,  it  was  found  the  heretics  took  ad- 
vantage from  some  of  the  prayers  used  in  some  of  the 
churches;  upon  this,  he  tells  us,  it  was  ordered  that  there 
should  be  no  prayers  used  in  the  church,  but  upon  cona- 
mon  advice — after  that,  the  liturgies  can)e  to  be  more 
carefully  considered."  At  first,  all  was  plain  and  simple: 
but,  at  length,  the  church  of  Rome  began  to  make  one 
addition  after  another,  employing  its  fancy  to  find  out 
mystical  significations  of  every  rite,  and  adding  ceremo- 
nies thereupon,  until  the  offices  were  swelled  out  of  mea- 
sure, and  there  were  missals,  and  breviaries,  and  rituals, 
and  pontificals,  and  partoises,  and  pies,  and  graduals, 
and  antiphonals,  and  psalteries,  and  houres,  and  a  great 
many  more.  All  these  it  was  determined  to  examine^ 
and,  whatever  was  rubbish,  to  cast  out. 

The  reformers  thought  that  praying  with  warm  affec- 
tion, and  sincere  devotion,  was  spiritual  worship ;  there- 
fore, they  never  agitated  the  question,  whether  they 
should  have  a  liturgy  or  not*,  their  only  inquiry  was,  how 


376  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  15. 

shall  we  best  bring  our  liltirgy  back  to  the  primitive 
stantlard.  They  resolved  to  change  nothing  for  novelty's 
sake  merely,  or  because  it  had  been  used  by  popery,  but 
to  retain  all  that  the  primitive  church  had  practised;  like 
skilful  vine-dressers,  applying  the  knife  only  to  the  use- 
less branches,  engrafted  by  later  ages. 

Retaining  forriis  of  prayer,  and  translating  the  liturgy 
into  the  vulgar  tongue,  they  threw  away  the  blessing  of 
water,  and  salt,  and  bread,  reputed  charms  against  dis- 
eases and  the  devil;  together  with  holy  incense,  holy 
ashes,  and  the  whole  multitude  of  heathen  symbols,  with 
which  the  church  of  Rome  was  defiled. 

Some  of  the  garments  worn  by  the  priests  were  retain- 
ed, because  it  was  thought  they  were  decent  in  them- 
selves; those  who  waited  upon  the  Lord  under  the  Mo- 
saic dispensation  having  been  thus  clothed;  white  being 
the  emblem  of  purity,  k.c.  Moreover,  it  was  supposed, 
that  the  Romish  clergy  having  used  then),  was  not  a  suf- 
ficient cause  for  throwing  them  aside. 

Joan,  of  Kent,  an  anabaptist,  received  sentence  of  con- 
denmalion,  which  was  executed.  This  shows  that  tole- 
ration was  not  fully  understood,  even  by  the  reformed. 
But  her  errors  threatened  the  state  more  than  the  church. 

There  was  a  class  of  anabaptists  who  were  not  so  dan- 
gerous. They  only  denied  infant  baptism.  Against 
these  no  severities  were  used.  Books  were  written, 
showing  they  were  wrong,  and  arguments  inculcated,  such 
as  the  following,  viz: — The  saying  of  Christ,  "  Suffer  lit- 
tle children  to  come  unto  me,"  appears  to  declare  them 
proper  subjects  of  baptism;  for  if  they  are  fit  for  the  king- 
dom of  Heaven — the  greater,  certainly  they  are  fit  for 
baptism — the  less.  Paul  calls  the  children  of  believing 
parents  holy;  and,  in  so  doing,  appears  to  describe  such 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  377 

a  consecration  of  them  as  is  made  in  baptism.  All  the 
Christians  in  existence  at  the  present  time  have  been 
baptized  in  their  infancy,  even  the  leaders  of  the  anabap- 
tist sect;  so  that,  according  to  their  views,  no  persons 
hving  have  a  right  to  baptize,  for  none  have  been  pro- 
perly baptized  themselves.  The  uninterrupted  practice 
'of  the  church  for  fifteen  hundred  years  is,  in  itself,  a 
strong  confirmation  of  infant  baptism. 

The  doctrine  of  predestination  was  much  abused. 
The  reformers,  generally,  had  taught  it,  and  many  made 
strange  inferences,  saying,  that  since  every  thing  was  de^- 
creed,  and  no  decree  could  be  frustrated,  all  should  leave 
themselves  to  be  carried  on  by  the  current  of  the  decrees 
without  making  any  exertion.  The  consequence  of  this 
was,  that  some  fell  into  great  impiety,  and  others  into 
desperation.  The  Germans  had  much  discussion  on  the 
subject.  Melancthon  wrote  against  it;  Calvin  and  Bucer 
maintained  it,  only  they  warned  the  people  not  to  endea- 
vour to  pry  into  it,  since  it  was  a  secret  none  could  pene- 
trate. Hooper,  and  many  other  good  writers,  often  ex- 
horted the  people  not  to  enter  into  "these  curiosities;" 
and  a  caveat  to  the  same  purpose  was  afterwards  in- 
corporated in  the  article  of  the  church  about  predestina- 
tion. 

Those  who  were  engaged  in  drawing  up  the  form  of 
ordination,  found,  on  examining,  that  scripture  required 
nothing  besides  imposition  of  hands  and  prayer;  and  that 
no  more  was  recognised,  by  either  the  apostolical  consti- 
tutions, or  the  primitive  church;  therefore,  they  rejected 
the  vain  novelties  introduced  by  later  ages,  such  as  anoint- 
ing, giving  of  consecrated  vestments,  and  vessels  for  con- 
secrating the  eucharist;  and  agreed  upon  a  mode  of  or- 
daining bishops,  priests,  and  deacons,  similar  to  that  now 

Vor,.  11.  3  B 


378  HISTORY  OF  THE  [t/tap.  16. 

used  by  the  church.  They  introduced  the  solemn  ques- 
tions and  vows — solemn  as  the  grave! — for  instance,  that 
searching  interrogative,  "Do  you  trust  that  you  are  in- 
wardly moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  take  upon  you  this 
office  and  ministration,  to  serve  God,  for  the  promoting 
his  glory,  and  for  the  edifying  of  his  people?"  Also,  that 
weighty  warning — "to  teach  the  people  committed  to 
their  charge,  to  banish  and  drive  away  all  erroneous  doc- 
trines, and  to  use  both  public  and  private  monitions  and 
exhortations,  as  well  to  the  sick  as  the  whole,  within 
their  cures."  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?  /  can 
do  all  things  through  Christ  strengthening  me,  said  one 
of  old. 

On  the  21st  February,  1550,  Ridley,  being  esteemed 
the  most  learned,  and  most  thoroughly  zealous  for  the 
reformation,  was  consecrated  bishop  of  London  and 
Westminster. 


CHxVPTER  XVI. 

Book  of  Common  Prayer. — Articles. — Laws. — Catechism. — Leaih 

of  Edward. 

In  preparing  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  it  was  de- 
termined to  add  to  the  daily  service,  a  short,  but  simple, 
and  most  grave,  confession  of  sins,  in  the  use  of  which, 
the  people  were  expected  to  make  a  sincere  and  hearty 
acknowledgment  of  all  their  iniquities,  as  well  secret  as 
open,  unto  God.  To  this  was  joined  a  general  absolu- 
tion, or  pronouncing,  in  the  name  of  God,  the  pardon  of 
sin  to  all  those  who  did  truly  repent  and  unfeignedly  be- 
lieve the  gospel.     It  was  thought,  that,  if  the  people  se- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  379 

riously  attended  to  these,  they  would  cherish  in  their 
minds  frequent  reflections  on  their  sins;  and,  moreover, 
that  a  general  declaration  of  pardon,  on  condition  of  re- 
pentance and  faith,  was  far  preferable  to  the  absolute  and 
unqualified  pardon  whfch  the  priests  were  in  the  habit  of 
giving  in  confession,  by  which  the  people  were  led  to  be- 
lieve their  sins  were  certainly  forgiven;  a  delusion  that 
lulled  them  in  fatal  security,  and  operated  as  a  bounty  to 
crime.  Many  were  observed  to' come  to  the  communion 
without  due  seriousness  or  preparation;  whereupon,  as  a 
means  of  arousing  the  consciences  of  all,  it  was  resolved 
to  begin  the  office  of  administration  with  a  solemn  read- 
ing of  the  ten  commandments,  during  which  the  congre- 
gation was  to  kneel,  as  if  hearing  the  law  anew;  at  the 
close  of  each  commandment  imploring  mercy  for  past  of- 
fences, and  grace  for  the  time  to  come.  This  was  sup- 
posed calculated  to  excite  remembrance  of  transgressions, 
and  to  prevent  receiving  the  holy  sacrament  unworthily. 
Kneeling  was  considered  the  most  appropriate  posture  in 
receiving  the  communion,  and,  therefore,  continued;  but, 
at  the  same  time,  it  was  declared  that,  that  gesture  was 
retained  as  the  most  reverent  and  humble  way  of  express- 
ing a  sense  of  the  mercies  of  God,  vouchsafed  through 
the  death  of  Christ,  and  not  as  a  sign  of  idolatrous  ado- 
ration to  the  bread  and  wine.  When  the  sacrament  was 
first  administered,  it  was  no  doubt  in  the  table  posture, 
lying  along  on  one  side.  But  the  Jews  appear  to  have 
changed  the  posture  used  in  receiving  the  passover,  from 
standing  to  lying;  a  change  sanctioned  by  our  Saviour; 
and,  surely,  it  is  equally  correct  to  change  the  mode  of 
receiving  the  eucharist  from  lying  to  kneeling,  especially 
as  the  eucharist  was  instituted  in  the  room  of  the  pass- 
over;  and  as,  moreover,  kneeling  is  better  suited  to  the 


380  HISTORY  01'  THE  lChap.l6. 

idea  of  an  exalted,  as  lying  was  to  that  of  a  suffering 
Christ.  Indeed,  all  denominations  of  Christians  appear 
to  be  united  in  the  opinion,  that,  they  may  safely  change 
the  posture,  for  all  of  them  have  discontinued  that  origi- 
nally made  use  of,  viz.  lying  alortg  on  one  side. 

Parliament  ordained,  January,  1552,  that  all  men 
should  attend  divine  service  every  Sunday  and  holy  day, 
under  pain  of  certain  censures. 

There  was  also  an  act  passed  concerning  fasts  and  holy 
days.  These,  it  was  said,  were  established  to  afford 
greater  opportunity  of  retiring  from  worldly  pursuits,  and 
devoting  the  soul  to  the  service  of  God.  As  to  Saints' 
days,  they  were  not  dedicated  to  the  Saints,  but  to  God 
in  remembrance  of  them. 

Great  pains  were  taken  in  preparing  the  articles  of  re- 
ligion, which  at  length  were  agreed  to  by  the  convoca- 
tion; and  thus  was  the  reformation  of  doctrine  and  wor- 
ship brought  to  its  completion.  No  further  change  took 
place  in  them  in  the  reign  of  Edward,  and  very  little  af- 
terwards, except  that  some  of  the  articles  were  put  in 
more  general  terms  in  the  days  of  Elizabeth. 

Cranmer  and  his  colleagues  had  long  been  anxious  for 
the  completion  of  a  body  of  ecclesiastical  laws,  for  the 
general  regulation  of  the  church  in  its  various  depart- 
ments. He  had  pressed  this  subject  in  the  reign  of 
Henry.  Under  the  present  king,  thirty-two  persons  were 
appointed  to  attend  to  it;  and,  subsequently,  eight  others, 
to  prepare  the  work  for  their  review.  Of  these,  Cran- 
mer was  one;  and  he  is  stated  to  have  drawn  up  nearly 
the  whole;  thus  proving  himself  the  greatest  canonist  in 
England.  These  laws  were  arranged  under  fifty-one 
titles,  and  were  finished  in  February,  1552.  A  commis- 
sion was  appointed  to  revise  and  correct  them,  that  they 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  381 

might  be  presented  to  the  king;  but  his  death  prevented 
their  being  established. 

lu  1553,  the  king,  by  letters-patent,  authorized  all 
schoolmasters  to  teacfe  a  new  and  fuller  catechism,  com- 
piled, as  is  believed,  by  Foinet. 

But  the  instruction  of  the  young,  as  well  as  spreading 
the  scriptures  among  the  old,  and  indeed  the  whole  sys- 
tem of  the  reformation,  was  now  about  to  descend  for  a 
season  to  the  grave.  Edward,  the  hope  of  the  church, 
the  good,  the  pious  king,  became  very  ill.  Having  had 
the  measles  and  then  the  small-pox,  and  having  repeat- 
edly taken  cold  from  violent  exercise,  he  approached  the 
borders  of  the  tomb. 

During  his  illness,  bishop  Ridley  preached  before  him, 
dwelHng  much  on  works  of  charity,  and,  especially,  on 
the  duty  of  men  in  high  stations  to  be  eminent  in  such 
works.  The  king  felt  this  subject  to  the  quick.  He 
sent  for  the  bishop,  praying  that  he  would  direct  him  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duty.  The  bishop  was  deeply  affect- 
ed by  this  conduct  in  the  young  king,  and  burst  into  tears. 
He  begged  time  for  reflection,  and  asked  leave  to  con- 
sult with  the  lord  mayor  and  court  of  aldermen,  which 
being  granted,  and  the  king  having  written,  requesting 
that  they  would  consult  speedily  how  the  poor  should  be 
relieved:  in  conclusion,  he  ordered  the  Gray  Friar's 
church  near  Newgate,  to  be  a  house  for  orphans,  St. 
Bartholomew's  near  Smithfield,  to  be  an  hospital,  and 
gave  his  own  house  of  Bridewell  to  be  a  place  of  correc- 
tion and  work  for  such  as  were  wilfully  idle.  He  also 
confirmed  and  enlarged  the  grant  for  the  hospital  of  St. 
Thomas  in  Southwark,  which  he  had  erected  and  en- 
dowed in  the  previous  August.  And  when,  on  the  26th 
of  June,  he  set  his  hand  to  these  foundations,  he  return- 


382  HISTO&Y  OF  THE  IChap.  16. 

ed  thanks  to  God  for  prolonging  his  hfe  to  see  their  com- 
pletion. 

He  expressed  great  submission  tothe  will  of  God,  and 
appeared  glad  at  the  approach  of  death,  only  saying  that 
he  was  desirous  of  life  for  the  slJke  of  the  church. 

At  length,  on  the  6th  of  July,  he  saw  his  end  approach- 
ing, and  composed  himself  to  depart  in  a  most  devout 
manner.  His  whole  exercise  was  in  short  prayers  and 
ejaculations.  The  last  that  he  was  heard  to  use  was  in 
these  words,  "Lord  God,  deliver  me  out  of  this  misera- 
ble and  wretched  life,  and  take  me  among  thy  chosen: 
howbeit,  not  my  will  but  thine  be  done:  Lord  I  commit 
my  spirit  to  thee:  0  Lord,  thou  knowest  how  happy  it 
were  for  me  to  be  with  thee;  yet  for  thy  chosen's  sake 
send  me  life  and  health  that  I  may  truly  serve  thee.  0 
my  Lord  God,  bless  my  people,  and  save  thine  inheri- 
tance. 0  Lord  God,  save  thy  chosen  people  of  Eng- 
land. O  Lord  God,  save  this  realm  from  papistry,  and 
maintain  thy  true  religion,  that  I  and  my  people  may 
praise  thy  holy  name,  for  Jesus  Christ  his  sake."  Dis- 
covering some  persons  near,  he  appeared  troubled  at  the 
idea  of  their  having  heard  him,  but,  with  a  pleasant  coun- 
tenance, said  he  had  been  praying  to  God.  Soon  after, 
the  pangs  of  death  coming  on,  he  said  to  sir  Henry  Sid- 
ney, who  was  holding  him  in  his  arms,  "  I  am  faint;" 
and,  with  a  prayer,  "  Lord  have  mercy  on  me  and  re- 
ceive my  spirit,"  breathed  out  his  soul.  Blessed  are 
the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  for  they  rest  from  their 
labours  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 


Cent.  16.-]  CHURCH  OF  OllklSr.  f?8S 

V 
<  •. 
CHAPTER  i|VII. 

Miry. — Ferseeulion, — Wrctkmcr. —  Disputatiou. 

Contrary  to  the  advice  of  Cranmer  and  the  Judges, 
Edward  was  induced  on  his  death  bed  to  make  a  will, 
passing  over  Mary,  and  settling  the  crown  on  the  lady 
Jane  Grey;  but  Mary  took  immediate  possession  of  the 
throne,  and  in  a  very  short  time,  displayed  her  opposition 
to  the  reformers.  Gardiner  was  made  chancellor.  Bon- 
ner bishop  of  London.  All  preaching  without  the  queen's 
license  was  prohibited,  and  that  license  was  issued  to  pa- 
pists. 

Cranmer's  friends  advised  him  to  fly  beyond  sea,  but 
he  refused,  saying,  that,  as  a  persecution  was  rising,  he 
would  not  dissuade  others  from  flight,  but,  considering 
the  station  he  occupied,  and  the  leading  part  he  had  taken 
in  the  reformation,  he  thought  it  indecent  for  him  to  fly. 
From  this  opinion  no  entreaties  could  move  him. 

He  had  saved  the  life  of  Mary  during  the  reign  of  her 
father,  but  this  availed  not  now.  He  was  sent  to  the 
Tower. 

On  the  first  of  October,  Mary  was  crowned  with  all 
the  ceremonies  of  popery.  On  the  tenth,  parliament 
met.  Two  of  the  reformed  bishops  who  attended,  were 
deprived  of  their  seats  for  refusing  to  worship  the  host. 
An  act  was  passed  confirming  the  marriage  of  king  Henry 
to  queen  Catharine,  and  declaring  the  divorce  unlawful. 
All  the  laws  passed  in  the  reign  of  king  Edward  on  the 
subject  of  religion  were  repealed,  and  the  service  used 
in  the  last  year  of  king  Henry  adopted. 

Mary,  forgetful  of  the  readiness  with  which  her  sister. 


384  mli^RY  OF  THE  ICkap.  V 


Elizabeth,  flew  to^er  aid,  when  she  was  seeking  the 
crown,  treated  her  with  roughness. 

By  a  secret  niessen^,  the  queen  eignified  to  the  pope 
her  desire  to  bring  back  her  kingdom  to  his  sway,  at  the 
same  time,  requesting  tiiat  her  intention  might  not  be  di- 
vulged, lest  it  should  create  dislurbance.  She  desired, 
however,  that  cardinal  Pool  might  be  sent  over  with  a 
legatinc  power.  This  intelligence  caused  great  joy  at 
Rome. 

The  emperor  proposed  to  IMary  a  matcli  with  his  son 
Philip,  to  which  she  consented. 

Seven  bishops  were  deprived  of  their  sees  because 
they  were  married.  Six  were  turned  out  for  other  rea- 
sons. These  removals,  with  three  deaths,  paved  the  way 
for  the  appointment  of  sixteen  new  popish  bishops. 

This  done,  the  bishops  began  to  execute  the  queen's 
injunctions.  The  new  service  was  everywhere  cast  out, 
and  the  old  ceremonies  set  up.  The  most  eminent 
preachers  in  London  were  put  in  confinement.  A  gene- 
ral assault  was  made  upon  the  clergy  throughout  Eng- 
land, on  account  of  their  wives.  Out  of  sixteen  thou- 
sand, twelve  thousand  are  supposed  to  have  suffered. 
Some  were  deprived  without  conviction.  Some  were 
turned  out  without  being  cited  to  appear.  Many,  who 
were  in  prison,  were  cited  and  turned  out,  for  not  ap- 
pearing when  they  could  not.  Some  left  their  wives  for 
their  hvings.  They  were  all  summarily  deprived.  And, 
moreover,  after  their  deprivation,  they  were  forced  to 
leave  their  wives.  This  piece  of  cruelty  was  founded 
upon  a  pretence  that  they  had  made  a  vow.  In  order  to 
justify  all  this,  writings  were  published  against  the  mar- 
riage of  the  clergy. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  S6b 

A  disputation  was  held  with  the  principal  reformers  at 
Oxford.     Three  questions  were  to  be  disputed,  viz. 

Whether  the  natural  body  of  Christ  was  really  in  the 
sacrament? 

Whether  any  other  substance  remained  besides  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ? 

Whether  iii  the  mass  there  was  a  propitiatory  sacri- 
fice, for  the  dead  and  living? 

When  Cranmer  was  brought  forth,  Weston,  the  prolo- 
cutor, exhorted  him  to  return  to  the  unity  of  the  church. 
He  answered,  with  great  gravity  and  modesty,  "  I  am  as 
much  for  unity  as  any,  but  it  must  be  a  unity  in  Christ 
and  according  to  the  truth.^' 

When  the  dispute  with  Cranmer  began,  Weston  made 
a  singular  stumble  in  the  opening  of  his  speech.  He 
said,  "  Ye  are  this  day  assembled  to  confound  the  detes- 
table heresy  of  the  verity  of  Christ's  body  in  the  sacra- 
ment." But,  recovering  himself,  he  proceeded.  The 
dispute  was  carried  on,  Cranmer  in  the  negative,  answer- 
ing all  their  arguments. 

The  next  day,  Ridley  was  brought  before  his  antago- 
nists. He  maintained  the  same  ground  with  Cranmer, 
until  the  prolocutor  was  tired,  and  called  out  to  the  audi- 
ence to  cry  with  him,  "  Truth  has  the  victory." 

When  Latimer  was  brought  forth,  he  told  them  he 
had  not  used  Latin  much  these  twenty  years,  and  was 
not  able  to  dispute;  but  he  would  declare  his  faith,  and 
then  they  might  do  as  they  pleased.  He  denied  the  cor- 
poral presence,  and  lamented  their  changing  the  commu- 
nion into  a  mass,  taking  the  cup  from  the  people,  and 
having  the  service  in  an  unknown  tongue.  Perceiving 
they  laughed  at  him,  he  told  them  to  consider  his  great 
age,  and  to  think  what  they  might  be  when  they  came  to 
Vol.  II.  3  C 


386  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  17. 

it.  They  pressed  him  much  to  answer  their  arguments; 
he  said  his  memory  was  gone,  but  his  faith  was  grounded 
on  the  word  of  God. 

During  the  whole  disputation,  there  was,  as  Ridley 
states,  great  disorder,  perpetual  shoutings,  tauntings,  and 
reproaches;  so  that  it  looked  rather  like  a  stage,  than  a 
school  of  divines. 

After  it  was  over,  the  reformers  were  brought  before 
the  papists,  and  required  to  subscribe  with  them  This 
they  refused,  as  the  disputation  had  not  been  fairly  con- 
ducted; whereupon,  they  were  pronounced  obstinate  he- 
retics, and  declared  to  be  no  longer  members  of  the 
church. 

Upon  which,  Cranmer  said,  "From  this  your  judg- 
ment and  sentence,  I  appeal  to  the  first  judgment  of  Al- 
mighty God,  trusting  to  be  present  with  him  in  Heaven, 
for  whose  presence  on  the  altar  I  am  thus  condemned.'* 

Ridley  answered,  "  Although  I  be  not  of  your  compa- 
ny, yet  I  doubt  not  but  my  name  is  written  in  another 
place,  whither  this  sentence  will  send  us  sooner  than  we 
should  by  the  course  of  nature  have  come.'' 

Latimer  answered,  "  I  thank  God  most  heartily  that 
he  hath  prolonged  my  life  to  this  end,  that  I  may,  in  this 
case,  glorify  God  with  this  kind  of  death." 

Weston  replied,  "  If  you  go  to  Heaven,  with  this  faith, 
then  I  will  never  come  thither,  as  I  am  thus  persuaded." 

After  this,  there  was  a  solemn  procession  in  Oxford, 
the  host  being  carried  by  Weston. 


Cent.  16.1  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  387 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Pool. — Rogers. — Hooper. — Taylor. 

Cardinal  Pool,  the  pope's  legate,  formally  received 
the  English  nation  into  communion  with  Rome,  enjoin- 
ing, as  a  penance,  the  repeal  of  the  late  laws,  and  grant- 
ing full  absolution  in  the  name  of  his  holiness. 

Pool  was  friendly  to  more  lenient  measures,  but  Gar- 
diner, a  man  more  truly  Romish,  prevailed. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  Rogers  was  led  to  Smithfield. 
He  asked  permission  to  speak  to  his  wife,  but  this  was 
denied  him.  Neither  was  he  suffered  to  make  any  speech 
to  the  people.  He  said  a  few  words,  desiring  all  to  con- 
tinue in  the  doctrine  he  had  taught  them;  a  doctrine,  for 
the  sake  of  which,  he  not  only  had  patiently  endured  all 
the  bitterness  and  cruelty  exercised  upon  him,  but,  also, 
now,  most  gladly,  resigned  his  life,  and  gave  his  flesh  to 
the  consuming  fire.  He  repeated  the  fifty-first  psalm, 
and  fitted  himself  for  the  stake.  A  pardon  was  offered 
him  if  he  would  recant,  but  he  chose  to  submit  to  the 
severe,  but  short  suffering  before  him,  rather  than,  by 
apostacy,  to  run  the  risk  of  everlasting  burnings.  The 
fire  was  kindled,  and  he  was  consumed  to  ashes. 

Hooper,  after  being  degraded  from  his  priestly  office, 
was  sent  to  his  diocese  of  Gloucester,  to  be  burnt  there. 
At  this  he  rejoiced,  lioping  by  his  death  to  confirm  the 
faith  of  those  over  whom  he  had  formerly  been  placed. 
One  day's  interval  was  allowed  him,  which  he  spent  in 
fasting  and  prayer.  Some  came  to  persuade  him  to  ac- 
cept of  the  queen's  mercy,  since  life  was  sweet  and  death 
bitter.     He  answered,  "  the  death  that  is  to  come  after  is 


3§8  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.  U. 

more  bitter,  and  the  life  that  is  to  follow  is  more  sweet.'' 
Once,  as  his  friends  parted  with  him,  he  shed  tears: 
"All  my  imprisonment,"  said  he,  "has  not  made  me  do 
so  much."  On  the  9th  of  February,  he  was  led  to  exe- 
cution. Being  denied  leave  to  speak,  but  allowed  to 
pray,  he  declared  his  belief  in  the  strain  of  a  prayer. 
The  queen's  pardon  being  showed  hinv  he  desired  thena 
to  take  it  away.  He  prayed  earnestly  for  strength  from 
God  to  endure  his  torment  patiently,  and  then  undressed 
himself  and  embraced  the  reeds.  When  he  was  tied  to 
the  stake  with  iron  chains,  he  desired  them  to  spare  their 
labour,  for  he  was  confident  he  should  not  trouble  them. 
The  fire  was  kindled,  but  the  wood,  being  green,  burnt 
ill,  and  the  wind  blew  away  the  flame  of  the  reeds.  He 
prayed  oft,  "  0  Jesus,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on 
me  and  receive  my  soul,"  and  called  to  the  people,  for 
the  love  of  God,  to  bring  him  more  fire,  for  it  was  burn- 
ing his  nether  parts,  but  did  not  reach  his  vitals.  The 
fire  was  renewed,  but  the  wind  still  blew  it  away  and 
prevented  its  rising  up  to  stifle  him,  so  that  he  was  long 
in  torment.  The  last  words  he  was  heard  to  utter, 
were,  "  Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit!"  One  of  his  hands 
dropped  off  before  he  died;  with  the  other  he  continued 
to  knock  on  his  breast  for  some  time.  He  was  near 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  in  burning. 

Sanders  was  burnt  at  Coventry.  He  was  condemned 
for  preaching  and  refusing  to  conform  to  the  new  laws, 
A  pardon  was  offered  him  also,  but  he  said  he  held  no 
heresies  but  the  blessed  gospel  of  Christ,  and  that  he 
would  never  recant.  When  he  came  to  the  stake  he 
embraced  it,  and  said,  "  Welcome  the  cross  of  Christ! 
W^elcome  everlasting  life!"     And  so  he  was  burnt. 

Dr.  Taylor,  parson  of  Hadley,  followed  next  in  the 
throng  of  martyrs.     Several  of  the  neighbouring  priests 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  38i> 

going  to  say  mass  in  his  church,  he  went  thither,  and 
openly  declared  against  it.  Immediately,  Gardiner  sent 
for  him  to  come  to  London.  Some  of  his  friends  advised 
him  to  go  out  of  the  way,  but  he  said,  "  He  must  follow 
Christ,  the  good  shepherd,  who  not  only  fed  his  Hock, 
but  died  for  it.  He  was  old,  and  thought  he  should 
never  be  able,  at  any  other  time,  to  do  his  good  God  such 
service  as  he  was  then  called  to,"  So  he  went  with 
much  cheerfulness.  Gardiner  treated  him  with  his  usual 
roughness.  He  was  condemned  and  sent  to  Hadley  to 
be  burnt.  AW  the  way  he  expressed  great  composure. 
When  brought  to  the  stake,  he  told  the  people  he  had 
taught  them  nothing  but  God's  holy  word,  and  was  now 
to  seal  it  with  his  blood.  One  of  the  guard  struck  him 
on  the  head,  and  made  him  cease  speaking.  Then  he 
went  to  his  prayers,  and  so  to  the  stake.  He  was  put  iu 
a  pitched  barrel.  As  the  wood  was  laying  about,  some 
one  flung  a  faggot  at  his  head  and  broke  it.  He  bled 
profusely;  but  his  only  answer  was,  "  Oh!  friend,  I  have 
harm  enough:  what  needed  that.'^"  He  repeated  the 
fifty-first  psalm  in  English,  at  which  one  of  the  guard 
struck  him  on  the  mouth,  and  bade  him  speak  Latin. 
He  continued  his  ejaculations  to  God,  until  the  fire  was 
kindled,  and  one  of  the  guard  struck  him  in  the  head 
with  his  halbert,  so  that  his  brains  fell  out. — And  is  it 
possible  that  these  persecutors  could  call  themselves 
Christians! 

The  spirit  of  popery  was  now  fully  manifest,  and  the 
people  could  not  but  contrast  it  with  that  of  the  reforma- 
tion. In  the  days  of  king  Edward,  the  papists  were 
merely  turned  out  of  their  livings,  and,  in  a  very  few  in- 
stances, imprisoned:  but  now,  the  reformers  were  put  to 
death  with  every  variety  of  cruelty.     Some  were  threat- 


390  HISTORY  OF  THE  [Chap.  19. 

ened  with  having  their  tongues  cut  out,  unless  they  would 
promise  not  to  make  speeches  to  the  people  at  the  stake. 
Such  was  the  astonishment  of  the  nation  at  these  cru- 
elties, and  such  the  disposition  to  charge  them  to  him, 
that  king  Philip  thought  it  expedient  openly  to  disavow 
them.  This  startled  the  popish  clergy  a  little;  but  they 
resolved  to  go  on,  and,  rather  than  the  heretics  should 
escape,  take  the  whole  blame  upon  themselves. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Martyrdom  of  Latimer,  Ridleijy  and  Cranmer. — Death  of  Mary. 

We  would  fain  pause  amid  this  recital,  and  contem- 
plate, for  a  moment,  the  desperately  wicked  character  of 
the  human  heart;  how  entirely  resigned  to  selfishness, 
and  how  utterly  dead  to  all  that  is  holy,  except  so  far  as 
influenced  by  the  spirit  of  God.  We  have  adverted  to 
this  repeatedly  before,  but  it  is  useful  to  revolve  the  re- 
flection again  and  again,  as  it  may  fasten  upon  our  souls 
a  deep  sense  of  the  importance  of  our  securing  the  bap- 
tism of  the  Holy  Ghost.  These  English,  or  rather  Ro- 
mish persecutors,  of  olden  lime,  though  they  appear  to 
our  view  reeking  from  their  butcheries,  are  only  exhibit- 
ing the  same  depravity  of  which  we  ourselves  are  sharers. 
If  the  blessed  reformation,  reflecting,  upon  our  fathers 
and  upon  us,  the  unclouded  light  of  the  Bible,  for  centu- 
ries, has  taught  us  better,  we  should  remember,  that,  if 
left  to  ourselves,  we  should  be  prone  to  similar  enormi- 
ties. And  though,  like  Hazael,  we  may  each  exclaim, 
"  Am  I  a  dog  that  I  should  do  this  thing?"  we  should 
rather  inquire^ — were  not  these  papists  from  the  same 


Cent.ie.-]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  391 

stock  with  us?  inheritors  of  the  same  nature?  united  to 
the  same  fallen  Adam?  Have  we  not  in  ourselves  the 
seeds  of  every  evil  passion?  and,  thougli  our  constitutions 
are  cast  in  somewhat  different  moulds,  and  our  sympa- 
thies are  diverse  in  degree,  would  not  those  seeds,  if  un- 
checked, spring  up  to  the  perpetration  of  every  variety  of 
sin?  Surely,  then,  it  becomes  us,  while  we  arc  weeping 
for  others,  to  weep  also  for  ourselves.  Surely  it  becomes 
us,  while  we  are  wondering  at  the  depravity  of  human 
nature,  to  call  to  mind  the  fact,  that  we  are  partakers  of 
the  same  human  nature;  and  to  ask  our  consciences  the 
question,  each  and  every  one  of  us,  Have  I  been  born 
again?  Am  I  a  new  creature?  Have  old  things  passed 
away,  and  all  things  become  new  in  me?  If  this  ques- 
tion cannot  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  we  are  not  fit 
for  the  kingdom  of  Heaven:  so  says  He  who  has  the  key 
of  that  kingdom,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

The  dead  body  of  a  robber,  at  the  time  of  his  execu- 
tion, uttered  something  which  savoured  of  heresy.  This 
circumstance  having  reached  the  ears  of  the  council, 
they  ordered  Bonner  to  inquire  into  it,  and  proceed  ac- 
cording to  the  ecclesiastical  laws.  He  formed  a  process, 
and  cited  the  body  to  answer;  but,  as  it  neither  appeared 
nor  answered,  it  was  condemned  and  burnt. 

On  the  16th  October,  bishops  Ridley  and  Latimer 
surrendered  their  lives  at  Oxford.  A  commission  of 
sundry  popish  bishops  was  sent  to  try  them.  They  re- 
fused to  pay  any  respect  to  the  authority  of  the  pope, 
under  which  the  commission  acted;  declaring,  that,  the 
bishops  of  Rome  had  been  held  in  great  esteem  for  the 
worthiness  of  their  character,  and  the  dignity  of  their 
city,  but  had  no  right  to  the  supremacy  claimed  in  latter 
ages.     Great  pains  were  taken  to  induce  them  to  accept 


39^  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  Id- 

of  the  queen's  mercy,  but  they  firmly  refused.  The 
night  before  their  execution,  Ridley  was  very  joyful,  and 
invited  the  mayor  and  his  wife,  in  whose  house  he  was 
kept,  to  be  at  his  wedding  next  day;  at  which,  when  the 
mayor's  wife  wept,  he  said,  he  perceived  she  did  not  love 
him;  he  told  her,  though  his  breakfast  would  be  sharp, 
he  was  sure  his  supper  would  be  sweet.  He  was  glad  to 
hear  that  his  sister  would  come  and  see  him  die;  and  was 
in  such  composure  of  mind  that  all  were  amazed.  In 
the  morning,  as  they  were  led  out  to  the  place  of  execu- 
tion, they  looked  up  to  the  prison  where  Cranmer  was 
kept,  to  see  him,  but  he  was  engaged  in  a  dispute  with 
some  friars,  and  was  not  at  his  window.  He  looked  after 
them  with  great  tenderness,  and,  kneeling  down,  prayed 
earnestly  that  God  would  strengthen  their  faith  and  pa- 
tience, in  that,  their  last,  but  painful  passage.  When 
they  came  to  the  stake,  they  embraced  each  other  with 
great  affection,  Ridley  saying  to  Latimer,  "Be  of  good 
heart,  brother,  for  God  will  either  assuage  the  fury  of 
the  flame,  or  enable  us  to  abide  it."  Dr.  Smith  was  ap- 
pointed to  preach,  and  took  his  text  from  these  words — 
If  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned  and  have  not  charity,  it 
profiteth  me  nothing.  He  compared  their  dying  for  he- 
resy to  Judas  hanging  himself;  and  warned  the  people  to 
beware  of  them,  with  as  much  bitterness  as  he  could  ex- 
press. The  best  of  it  was,  the  sermon  lasted  not  above 
a  quarter  of  an  hour.  When  he  had  finished,  Ridley 
was  going  to  answer  him,  and  the  lord  WilHams,  who 
was  appointed  by  the  queen  to  see  the  execution,  was  in- 
clined to  hear  him;  but  the  vice  chancellor  said,  "except 
he  intended  to  recant,  he  must  not  be  suffered  to  speak." 
Ridley  answered,  "  he  would  never  deny  his  Lord,  nor 
those  truths  of  His  of  which  he  was  persuaded.     God's 


Cent.  16.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  393 

will  be  done  in  him.  He  committed  himself  to  God,  who 
would  indifferently  judge  all."  Then,  addressing  him- 
self to  the  lord  Williams,  he  said,  "nothing  troubled  him 
so  much  as  that  he  had  received  fines  of  some  who  took 
leases  of  him  when  he  was  bishop  of  London,  which 
leases  were  now  voided.  He,  therefore,  humbly  prayed 
that  the  queen  would  give  order  that  those  might  be  made 
good  to  the  tenants,  or,  that  the  fines  migiit  be  restored, 
out  of  the  goods  which  he  had  left  in  his  house,  and 
which  were  of  far  greater  value  than  the  fines  would 
amount  to:  also,  that  some  pity  might  be  had  of  Shipside, 
his  brother-in-law,  who  was  turned  out  of  a  place  he  had 
put  him  in,  and  had  now  attended  on  him  with  great 
care."  After  this,  they  both  prayed  and  fitted  themselves 
for  the  stake;  Latimer  saying  to  Ridley,  "Be  of  good 
comfort,  we  shall  this  day  light  such  a  candle  in  Eng- 
land, as  I  trust,  by  God's  grace,  shall  never  be  put  out." 
Gunpowder  being  hanged  about  their  bodies  in  great 
quantities  to  hasten  their  death,  the  fire  was  kindled. 
The  powder  taking  fire,  Latimer  was,  at  the  first  flame, 
put  out  of  pain.  He  died  immediately.  But  Ridley  suf- 
fered a  more  lingering  torment,  for  they  threw  on  the 
fire  so  much  wood,  that  the  flame  could  not  break  through 
it.  His  legs  were  almost  consumed  before  this  was  ob- 
served; but  then,  a  passage  being  opened  to  the  flame,  it 
put  an  end  to  his  life. 

Thus  died  these  two  excellent  bishops.  The  one,  for 
his  piety,  learning,  and  solid  judgment,  justly  esteemed 
the  ablest  man  of  all  who  promoted  the  reformation;  and 
the  other,  for  the  plain  simplicity  of  his  life,  a  truly  pri- 
mitive bishop  and  Christian. 

Gardiner  shortly  after  died  also.  He  had  great  re- 
raorse  of  conscience  on  account  of  his  life.  Day,  bishop 
Vol,  it.  '^  D 


394  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  19. 

of  Chichester,  coming  to  him,  and  comforting  him  with 
the  assurance  of  justification  through  the  blood  of  Christ, 
he  answered,  "you  may  speak  of  that  to  me,  or  otliers  in 
my  condition,  but,  if  you  open  that  gap  again,  and  preach 
tljat  to  the  people,  then  farewell  altogether."  He  often 
repeated  those  words — Erravi  cum  Petro,  sed  non  Jlevi 
cum  Petro — I  have  erred  with  Peter,  but  I  have  not 
mourned  with  Peter. 

On  the  12th  September,  1555,  sundry  commissioners 
from  the  queen,  together  with  a  sub-delegate  from  the 
pope,  went  to  Oxford  to  judge  Cranmer.  When  he  ap- 
peared before  them,  he  made  a  low  reverence  to  those 
who  sat  in  the  queen's  name,  but  refused  any  homage  to 
the  pope's  delegate,  inasmuch  as  he  thought  that  would 
be  paying  respect  to  the  pope.  They  made  sundry 
speeches,  charging  him  with  heresy;  after  which,  he 
kneeled  down  and  said  the  Lord's  prayer;  next,  he  re- 
peated the  creed;  then  he  told  them  he  never  would  ac- 
knowledge the  bishop  of  Rome's  authority;  declaring, 
that  the  bishops  of  Rome  had  made  laws  contrary  to 
those  of  God — as,  causing  worship  to  be  in  an  unknown 
tongue;  denying  the  chalice  to  the  people;  pretending  to 
dispose  of  crowns;  and  exalting  themselves  above  every 
creature;  all  which  proved  them  to  be  antichrists,  since 
all  was  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ.  In  conclu- 
sion, they  cited  him  to  appear  before  the  pope  within 
eighty  days,  to  answer  to  the  charges  brought  against 
him.  This,  he  said,  he  was  most  willing  to  do,  if  the 
king  and  queen  would  allow  it,  but  they  detained  him  a 
prisoner. 

He  was  sent  back  to  his  confinement,  where  he  lay 
until  the  14th  February,  1556,  when  Bonner  and  Thir- 
leby  were  sent  to  degrade  him.     In  this  task  Bonner  de- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  39.) 

lighted;  and  he  performed  it  with  much  insult.  Thirleby 
wept,  and  declared  it  was  the  most  sorrowful  action  of 
his  life,  he  having  been  formerly  a  friend  of  Cranmer. 
To  Cranmer  himself,  it  was  no  affliction. 

Now  new  engines  were  contrived  against  him.  We 
have,  heretofore,  seen  him,  like  David,  valiant  for  the 
truth;  but  we  are  called  to  contemplate  him,  like  David, 
falling;  and  to  behold,  in  him,  another  instance  of  the 
infirmity  of  poor  human  nature. 

Many,  both  English  and  Spanish  divines,  had  been 
sent  to  confer  with  him,  and  persuade  him  to  recant. 
Hopes  of  life  and  preferment  were  given.  At  length,  he 
was  removed  out  of  prison,  to  the  dean's  lodgings  at 
Christ's  church.  All  the  arguments  that  could  be  in- 
vented were  made  use  of  to  turn  him;  and,  in  conclusion, 
as  St.  Peter  himself  with  curses  denied  his  Saviour,  so 
he,  who  had  resisted  now  almost  three  years,  was,  at 
last,  overcome;  and  human  infirmity,  the  fears  of  death, 
and  the  hopes  held  forth,  prevailed  him  to  set  his  hand 
to  a  paper  renouncing  all  the  doctrines  of  the  reforma- 
tion, and  acknowledging  all  the  abominations  of  popery. 
This  paper,  which  was  as  full  as  his  enemies  desired, 
Ihey  giving  him  no  rest  till  he  had  completed  it  to  their 
will,  was  immediately  printed;  and  it  occasioned,  on  the 
one  hand,  great  insulting,  and,  on  the  other,  great  dejec- 
tion. But  the  queen  was  not  at  all  wrought  upon  by  it. 
She  now  manifested,  what  she  had  before  disowned,  that 
her  private  resentments  governed  her  in  this  affair;  and, 
that  the  man  who  pronounced  t!ie  judgment  of  divorce, 
must,  at  all  hazards,  be  destroyed.  She  resolved  that  he 
should  be  burnt.  The  writ  for  burning  was  issued  the 
24th  February.  The  long  time  that  elapsed,  previous  to 
the  execution,  makes  it  not  improbable  that  this  writ 


396  HISTORY  OF  THE  iCIiap.  19. 

was  made  use  of  in  first  inducing  him  to  recant:  certain 
it  is,  that,  when  the  second  order  was  sent  to  Oxford, 
forbidding  any  longer  delay,  he  was,  with  the  death  then 
threatening  him  if  he  refused,  persuaded  to  renew  in  full 
his  recantation.  He  did  thus  renew  it;  but,  at  the  same 
time,  he  was  jealous  tliat  his  enemies  intended  to  burn 
him,  and  he  secretly  prepared  a  paper  containing  a  true 
confession  of  his  faith,  such  as  flowed  from  his  con- 
science, and  not  from  his  weak  fears.  His  fate  being 
fixed,  notwithstanding  all  promises,  he  was  carried  to  St. 
Marie's  church,  and  placed  on  a  platform  where  he  might 
be  conspicuous.  Cole,  provost  of  Eaton,  preached  a 
sermon,  during  which  was  announced  the  fact  that  Cran- 
mer  was  that  day  to  suffer.  At  the  close,  he  turned  to 
Cranmer,  and  magnified  his  conversion,  attributing  it  to 
the  immediate  hand  of  God.  He  gave  him  great  hopes 
of  Heaven,  and  assured  hin)  there  should  be  dirges  and 
masses  said  for  his  soul,  in  all  the  churches  of  Oxford. 

During  all  this,  Cranmer  expressed  great  inward  con- 
fusion; lifting  up  his  eyes  often  to  Heaven,  and  then  let- 
ting them  fall  downward,  as  one  ashamed  of  himself. 
Frequently  he  poured  forth  floods  of  tears.  At  length, 
when  Cole  bid  him  declare  his  faith,  he  first  prayed  with 
many  moving  expressions  of  deep  remorse  and  inward 
horror;  then  he  made  his  exhortation  to  the  people, 
"not  to  love  or  set  their  hearts  on  the  things  of  this 
world:  to  obey  the  king  and  queen  out  of  conscience  to 
God:  to  live  in  mutual  love;  and  to  relieve  the  poor  ac- 
cording to  their  abundance.  Then  he  came  to  that  on 
which,  he  said,  all  his  past  life,  and  that  which  was  to 
come,  did  hang — he  being  now  to  enter  either  into  the 
joys  of  Heaven,  or  the  pains  of  hell.  He  repeated  the 
apostles'  creed,  and  declared  his  belief  of  the  Scriptures. 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  397 

Then  he  spake  of  that  which  he  said  troubled  his  con- 
science more  tlian  any  thing  he  had  done  in  his  whole 
life,  which  was  the  subscribing  a  paper  contrary  to  the 
truth,  and  against  his  conscience,  out  of  the  fear  of  death, 
and  the  love  of  life;  and,  he  said,  he  was  resolved,  when 
he  catne  to  the  fire,  that  that  hand  which  had  signed  it, 
should  burn  first.  He  rejected  the  pope  as  Christ's 
enemy  and  antichrist,  and  said  he  had  the  same  belief  of 
the  sacrament  which  he  liad  published  in  the  book  he 
wrote  about  it." 

Upon  this,  there  was  a  wonderful  confusion  in  the 
whole  assembly.  Those  who  hoped  to  have  gained  a 
great  victory  on  that  day,  seeing  tiiemselvcs  discomfited, 
were  in  much  disorder.  They  called  to  him  to  dissemble 
no  more.  He  said  he  had  ever  loved  simplicity,  and,  be- 
fore his  recantation,  had  never  dissembled  in  his  whole 
life.  He  was  going  on  in  his  discourse,  with  abundance 
of  tears,  but  they  pulled  him  down  and  led  him  away  to 
the  stake.  It  stood  in  the  same  place  where  Ridley  and 
Latimer  were  burnt.  All  the  way  the  priests  upbraided 
him  for  his  changing,  but  he  was  minding  another  thing. 

When  he  came  to  the  stake,  he  first  prayed,  and  then 
undressed  himself,  and,  being  tied  to  it,  as  the  fire  was 
kindling,  he  stretched  forth  his  right  hand  toward  the 
flame,  never  moving  it,  save  that  once  he  wiped  his  face, 
till  it  was  burnt  away.  It  was  consumed  before  the  fire 
reached  his  body.  Here  he  discovered,  that,  if,  like 
David,  he  sirnied,  like  David  also  he  repented.  He  ex- 
pressed no  disorder  at  the  pain  he  endured:  sometimes 
saying,  "That  unworthy  hand;"  and  oft  crying  out, 
"Lord  Jesus  receive  my  spirit!"  He  was  soon  after 
quite  burnt,  except  his  heart,  which  was  found  whole 
among  the  ashes! 


398  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICUap.  19. 

Thus,  on  the  2 1st  March,  1556,  died  Thon.as  Cran- 
mer,  in  the  67th  year  of  his  age.     He  was  a  man  raised 
of  God  for  great  services,  and  well  fitted  for  them.     He 
was  naturally  of  a  mild  and  gentle  temper,  not  soon  heat- 
ed, nor  apt  to  give  his  opinion  rashly  of  things  or  persons. 
Though  his  gentleness  exposed  him  to  the  ill  usage  of 
his  enemies,  who  well  knew  he  would  forgive  them,  it 
did  not  lead  him  into  such  a  weakness  of  spirit  as  to  con- 
sent  to  every  thing  that  was  uppermost,  for  he  stood 
firmly  against  the  six  articles  in  the  reign  of  Henry,  not- 
withstanding all  that  king's  heat  for  them;  he  opposed 
the  duke  of  Somerset  and  the  duke  of  Northumberland, 
in  the  days  of  king  Edward;  and  now  resisted  unto  blood, 
giving  his  hand  to  the  flame  vvith  the  utmost  resolution; 
so  that  his  meekness  was,  as  all  true  meekness  is,  a  vir- 
tue, and  not  a  pusillanimity  of  temper.     He  was  a  man 
of  great  candour.     He  never  dissembled  his  opinion,  nor 
disowned  his  friend — two  rare  qualities  in  an  age  when 
the  whole  English  nation  appeared  to  be  going  backward 
and  forward,  like  a  wave  of  the  sea,  as  the  court  direct- 
ed.    He  stood  by  queen  Anne,  and  Cromwell,  and  the 
duke  of  Somerset,  in  their  lowest  fortunes;  and  saved 
Mary  herself  from  the  rage  of  her  father.     His  diligence 
was  wonderful.     He  drew  out  of  all  the  authors  that  he 
read,  every  thing  remarkable,  digesting  these  quotations 
into  common  places.     Often  did  king  Henry  test  him  in 
this  respect;  and,  whenever  he  applied  to  him  for  the 
opinions  of  the  fathers  and  doctors  on  any  particular  sub- 
ject, Cranmer  usually  furnished  them  in  two  or  three 
days.     He  laid  out  all  his  wealth  on  the  poor,  and  for 
pious  uses.     He  had  hospitals  and  surgeons  in  his  house, 
for  the  king's  seamen.     He  gave  pensions  to  many  of  the 
reformers  who  fled  from  Germany  to  England;  and  kept 


Cent.  IG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  399 

up  that  wliich  is  hospitality  indeed  at  his  table,  inviting 
great  numbers  of  his  honest  and  poor  neighbours,  instead 
of  having  the  luxury  and  extravap;ance  of  great  enter- 
tainments. He  was  so  humble  and  alTable,  that  he  car- 
ried himself,  in  all  conditions,  in  the  same  manner.  His 
last  fall  was  the  only  blemish  of  his  life,  but  it  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  sincere  repentance,  and  a  patient  martyrdom. 
He  had  been  thechief  promoter  of  the  reformation  in  his 
life,  and  God  so  ordered  it,  that  he  gave  no  small  con- 
firmation to  all  who  had  received  his  doctrine,  by  the 
constancy  with  which  he  sealed  tiiat  doctrine  with  his 
blood. 

King  Henry  was  full  of  the  opinion  that  Cranmer 
would  at  last  die  a  martyr,  and,  therefore,  directed  him 
to  change  the  arms  of  his  family  from  cranes  to  pelicans; 
intimating  thereby,  that,  as  the  pelican  fed  her  young 
with  her  blood,  so  he  would  give  his  blood  for  the  good 
of  the  church. 

The  day  after  Cranmer's  martyrdom.  Pool  was  conse- 
crated archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He  appears  to  have 
been  too  anxious  for  Cranmer's  death,  insomuch  that 
the  words  of  Elijah  to  Ahab  were  applied  to  him — 
''  Thou  hast  killed  and  taken  possession." 

The  proceedings  of  Mary  were  well  calculated  to  ac- 
celerate the  reformation.  She  burnt  up  all  attachment 
to  popery,  in  the  fires  that  consumed  the  martyrs,  and 
thoroughly  purged  the  nation  of  all  hankering  after  the 
tender  mercies  of  Rome. 

So  blind  was  the  fury  of  persecution,  that  even  the 
dead  bodies  of  protestants  who  died  before  the  reign  of 
terror  were  burnt.  The  remains  of  two  eminent  men, 
Bucer  and  Fagius,  were  thus  treated. 

A  writ  was  brought  from  London  on  the  6th  Febru- 


400  HISTORY  OF  THE  [^Chap.  19. 

ary;  their  bodies  were  taken  up,  carried  in  coffins,  and 
tied  to  stakes,  with  many  of  their  books,  and  other  here- 
tical writings,  and  all  were  burnt  together.  A  similar 
farce  was  played  at  Oxford,  where  the  body  of  Peter 
Martyr's  wife  was  taken  up,  and  buried  in  a  dungbill. 
These  bones,  however,  were  collected  in  the  days  of  Eli- 
zabeth, and  mingled  with  the  bones  of  a  popish  saint, 
that  they  might  be  secured  from  all  future  insult. 

And  now  the  dark  features  of  popery  began  to  show 
themselves  in  still  bolder  relief.  Nothing  less  than  the 
inquisition  appeared  in  view.  This  grand  engine  of  Sa- 
tan, which  was  first  set  up  in  Thoulouse  to  extirpate  the 
Albigenses,  and,  afterwards,  introduced  into  Spain  to 
discover  the  Moors,  had  lately  been  found  a  most  effec- 
tual means  of  preserving  the  Romish  faith  among  the 
Spaniards;  and,  in  consequence,  the  pope  was  anxious 
for  its  establishment  throughout  Christendom.  The 
question  about  erecting  it  in  England,  began  to  be 
agitated.  Some  openly  advised  it,  and,  in  February, 
1557,  a  commission  was  issued  to  a  considerable  number 
of  persons,  empowering  them,  or  any  three  of  them,  by 
any  means  they  thought  best,  to  search  for  and  punish 
all  heretics.  Every  thing  was  surrendered  to  their  dis- 
cretion, and  they  were  at  liberty  to  summon  before  them, 
as  witnesses,  whomsoever  they  chose.  This  was  paving 
the  way,  if  no  more. 

Still  did  the  burnings  continue.  One  man  was  put  to 
the  rack  to  make  him  discover  who  attended  the  private 
assemblies.  A  proclamation  was  issued,  subjecting  all  to 
martial  law  who  read  heretical  or  treasonous  books.  In 
Smithfield,  it  was  proclaimed  that  none  should  pray  for 
those  who  were  about  to  be  burnt,  nor  speak  to  them, 
nor  say  God  help  them.     Bonner,  not  satisfied  with  burn- 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  401 

ing,  scourged  some  witn  rods,  till  lie  was  weary.  Many 
died  in  bonds,  and  many  were  vexed  with  long  and  grie- 
vous imprisonment.  At  length,  the  people  began  to  hate 
popery  beyond  all  expression. 

One  man,  on  the  fire  touching  him,  cried  out,  "  I  re- 
cant," and  was  released  from  the  stake;  but  he  was  af- 
terwards burnt,  so  that  the  object  appeared  to  be,  not  so 
much  the  conversion  as  the  destruction  of  heretics. 

At  length,  on  t-lie  17lh  of  November,  1558,  Mary  de- 
parted this  life.  # 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Elixabeth. — Parker. — JVa^'s  Head  Ordination. 

Immediately  on  the  death  of  Mary,  Elizabeth  was 
proclaimed  queen,  to  the  universal  joy  of  the  nation. 
On  her  way  to  London,  she  was  met  by  the  bishops. 
*'  She  expressed  to  all  of  them  sentiments  of  regard,  ex- 
cept to  Bonner,  from  whom  she  turned  aside,  as  from  a 
man  polluted  with  blood,  who  was  a  just  subject  of  hor- 
ror to  every  heart  susceptible  of  humanity." 

The  reformation  of  religion  came  at  once  under  con- 
sideration. The  queen  had  been  trained  up  in  a  hatred 
of  popery,  but  she  had  received  impressions  in  favour  of 
such  old  rites  as  her  father  had  retained;  moreover,  she 
loved  state  and  magnificence;  therefore,  she  inclined  to 
a  sort  of  half-reformation.  She  thought  Cranmer  and 
his  colleagues,  in  the  days  of  king  Edward,  had  disrobed 
religion  of  external  ornaments  too  much,  and  had  made 
their  doctrine  too  narrow  in  some  points.  She  wished 
a  few  things  explained  in  more  general  terms,  such  as^ 

Yoh.  IT.  0  E 


402  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  20. 

Christ's  presence  in  the  sacrament,  &c.  Moreover,  she 
was  disposed  to  keep  images  in  the  churches*  Her  ob- 
ject appeared  to  be  to  please  both  parties,  and  carry  the 
whole  nation  with  her,  papists  as  well  as  protestants. 
But,  blessed  be  God,  her  plans  did  not  prevail. 

The  result  of  the  consultation  on  the  subject  was,  that, 
the  alterations  intended  to  be  made,  should  be  brought 
about  gradually,  and  tfeiat,  in  the  mean  time,  the  way 
should  be  paved  for  them  as  surely  as  possible.  The 
pope  and  the  priests  were  dispoied  to  embroil  the  nation, 
and  it  was  thought  necessary  to  use  some  caution. 

Several  learned  men  were  appointed  to  meet  and  con- 
sider the  book  of  service;  and,  to  encourage  the  people 
with  the  hope  of  refonnation,  it  was  resolved  that  the 
communion  should  be  administered  in  both  kinds. 

As  soon  as  Elizabeth's  coming  to  the  crown  was 
known,  all  who  had  fled  to  foreign  countries  returned, 
and  those  who  had  lived  in  secret  corners  came  forth. 
Many,  having  notice  of  the  queen's  intentions,  could  not 
contain  themselves,  but  began  immediately  to  pull  down 
images,  and  set  up  king  Edward's  service.  Perceiving 
this,  she  made  a  more  full  discovery  of  her  wishes,  and 
gave  order  that  the  gospels  and  epistles,  the  Lord's 
prayer,  the  apostles'  creed,  the  ten  commandments,  and 
the  litany,  should  be  used  in  English;  and,  at  the  same 
time,  forbade  the  priests  to  elevate  the  host  at  mass:  after 

*  "  It  is  probable,  tliat,  whatever  favour  the  queen  may  liave  been  disposed 
to  show  to  images  in  the  beginning-,  It  was  the  result  of  an  acknowledged 
inaxim  of  the  first  years  of  her  reign,  to  conciliate  the  more  moderate  of  the 
lioman  Catholics,  For  we  find  from  Strype's  Annals,  that  some  time  after 
her  discharging  of  the  images,  at  the  instance  of  archbishop  Parker,  and  Cox, 
bishop  of  Ely,  she  expressed  great  dislike  even  at  a  common  Prayer  Book 
with  pictures;  and  said  expressly  to  dean  N')well,  who  laid  the  book  upon  her 
cushion, — 'You  know  I  have  an  aversion  to  idolatry,  to  images  and  pictures  of 
iiis  kind.'  •' 


Cent.  IC]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  403 

which,  she  made  proclamation  against  all  unauthorized 
changes,  and  required  her  subjects  to  use  no  other  forms 
of  worship  than  tliose  estabhshed  in  her  ciiapel,  until 
parliament  should  appoint  otiierwise. 

On  the  5th  December,  the  queen  performed  her  sis- 
ter's funeral  rites  with  niuch  magnificence. 

Great  anxiety  existed  as  to  the  choice  of  persons  to 
fdl  the  vacant  bishoprics.  Parker  was  selected  for  the 
See  of  Canterbury,  but  there  was  much  difficulty  in  per- 
suading him  to  accept.  He  was  a  man  of  an  humble 
temper,  and  loved  privacy.  He  begged  that  he  might 
not  be  thought  of  for  any  public  employment,  as  the  in- 
firmities contracted  by  flying  about  in  the  nights  in  queen 
Mary's  time  had  very  much  disabled  him.  But,  he  had 
been  chaplain  to  Ann  Boleyn,  and,  at  her  request,  had 
instructed  Elizabeth  in  the  principles  of  the  Christian 
religion.  The  queen  had  now  a  grateful  remembrance 
of  his  services,  and,  moreover,  Bacon,  the  chancellor, 
had  a  high  opinion  of  him;  so  that  it  was  determined  to 
overcome  his  modesty,  and,  after  nearly  a  year's  impor- 
tunity, he  yielded. 

On  the  12th  January,  1559,  Elizabeth  was  crowned. 
As  she  went  into  her  chariot,  she  lifted  up  her  eyes  to 
heaven,  and  blessed  God,  who  had  preserved  her  to  see 
that  joyful  day,  and  saved  her,  as  he  did  the  prophet 
Daniel  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lions.  She  acknowledged 
that  her  deliverance  was  only  from  him,  and  to  him  she 
olTercd  all  the  praise.  She  passed  through  London  in 
great  triumph;  all  the  way,  by  her  winning  and  cheerful 
address,  delighting  the  people.  As  she  went  under  one 
of  the  triumphal  arches,  there  was  a  rich  Bible  let  down 
to  her,  as  from  heaven,  by  a  little  child  representing 
Truth.     With   great  reverence,   she   kissed  both   her 


404  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  £0. 

hands,  and,  receiving  the  Bible,  kissed  it,  and  laid  it  next 
her  heart.*  This  drew  tears  of  joy  from  the  eyes  of  the 
spectators. 

On  the  25th  January,  parliament  met.  Bacon  opened 
it  with  a  long  speech.  He  exhorted  them  to  consult 
about  religion  without  heat  or  partiality,  not  to  use  any 
reproachful  term,  as  papist  or  heretic,  but  endeavour  so 
to  establish  every  thing,  as  that  there  might  be  a  unifor- 
mity and  a  cordial  agreement. 

The  first  bill  passed  was  for  restoring  the  tenths  and 
first  fruits  to  the  crown.  Then  followed  sundry  other 
bills,  the  amount  of  all  which  were,  making  the  state  of 
religion  similar  to  what  it  was  in  the  days  of  king  Ed- 
ward, abolishing  the  power  of  the  pope,  and  establishing 
the  English  service.  The  queen's  supremacy  was  as- 
serted, and  a  high  commission  court  established  for  the 
execution  of  it. 

But  the  popish  clergy  began  every  where  to  preach 
against  innovation  and  heresy,  insomuch  that,  early  in 
March,  the  queen  forbid  all  preaching,  except  by  such 
as  had  license  under  the  great  seal. 

A  public  conference  on  the  subject  of  religion  was, 
by  order  of  the  queen,  held  in  the  abbey  church  of  West- 
minster. Nine  protestants  and  nine  papists  were  ap- 
pointed to  engage  in  it.  A  great  concourse  attended, 
and  the  conference  continued  for  some  time,  until,  at 
length,  the  papists  refusing  to  proceed,  it  was  broken  up. 

Some  alterations  were  made  in  the  communion  ser- 
vice in  the  liturgy  of  king  Edward,  that  it  might  express 
in  more  genera!  terms  the  manner  of  Christ's  presence 
in  the  sacrament. 

•  "  She  also,"  says  Collier,  "  promised  to  read  it,  and  returned  the  city 
more  thanks  for  this  present,  than  for  all  the  rest  of  great  value  she  had  already 
received" 


Cent.  IG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  405 

The  popish  bishops,  refusing  to  take  tlie  oath  of  supre- 
macy, were  i imprisoned  for  a  short  time,  but  soon  re- 
leased, except  Bonner,  Wliite,  and  Watson.  Charges 
were  preferred  against  all  three  of  them,  and  those 
charges  Elizabeth  promised  to  attend  to  as  soon  as  they 
should  be  substantiated.  She  appealed  anxious  to  gain 
a  little  time,  that  the  edge  might  be  taken  otT  men's 
spirits;  for  she  was  not  disposed  to  proceed  severely 
against  any,  being  naturally  merciful,  and,  moreover, 
taught  by  the  gospel  not  to  render  evil  for  evil. 

All  the  leading  papists  were  allowed  to  go  where  they 
pleased,  and  those  who  chose  to  remain  in  England, 
were  permitted  to  enjoy  the  free  exercise  of  their  reli- 
gion. Most  of  the  monks  returned  to  a  secular  course 
of  life,  but  the  nuns  went  beyond  sea. 

Elizabeth  continuing  anxious  to  have  images  in  the 
churches,  all  the  reformed  bishops  and  divines  opposed 
it  vehemently.  At  length,  she  yielded  to  their  wish,  and, 
in  the  injunctions  sent  forth,  gave  orders  that  they  should 
be  taken  down. 

By  these  injunctions,  the  common  prayer  book  and 
litany  were  directed  to  be  used  in  all  churches  on 
Wednesdays  and  Fridays.  Slanderous  words,  as  papist, 
heretic,  schismatic,  or  sacramentary,  were  forbidden 
under  severe  pains.  All  were  directed  to  kneel  during 
prayer,  and  to  show  reverence  at  the  name  of  Jesus. 
As  to  the  queen's  supremacy,  it  was  declared,  that,  she 
did  not  pretend  to  any  authority  for  the  ministering  of 
divine  service  in  the  church,  but,  only  to  such  a  sove- 
reignty or  rule  over  all  manner  of  persons,  under  God, 
as  precluded  the  authority  of  every  foreign  power. 

Bowing  at  the  name  of  Jesus  was  deenied  a  suitable 


406  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CViflp.SO. 

expression  of  reverence,  manifesting  an  acknowledgment 
of  him  as  the  Saviour,  and  an  owning  his  divinity. 

Commissions  were  issued  for  visiting  all  the  churches 
in  England,  in  order  to  establish  the  new  book  of  ser- 
vice, and,  in  general,  to  carry  into  effect  the  newly  adopt- 
ed regulations.  It  was  directed,  that,  pensions  should 
be  reserved  for  such  clergymen  as  would  not  continue  in 
their  benefices,  but  left  them  by  resignation.  Those 
found  in  prison  on  account  of  their  religion  were  to  bp 
discharged,  and,  all  such  as  had  been  unlawfully  turned 
out  in  the  late  reign  were  to  be  restored  to  their  cures. 
Unworthy  clergymen  were  to  be  deprived,  and  others 
put  in  their  places,  and  such  as  were  obstinate  were  to 
be  tried. 

When  the  visiters  made  their  report  to  the  queen,  it 
was  found  that,  out  of  nine  thousand  four  hundred  bene- 
ficed ^men  in  England,  only  fourteen  bishops  end  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  others,  resigned  their  livings  on 
account  of  their  religion. 

On  the  17lh  December^  1559,  Parker  was  consecrated 
in  the  chapel  at  Lambeth,  by  four  bishops,  viz.  Barlow, 
Scory,  Coverdale,  and  Hodgkins;  according  to  the  book 
of  ordination  made  in  the  reign  of  king  Edward. 

Having  been  thus  consecrated  himself,  Parker  after- 
wards consecrated  bishops  for  the  vacant  sees,  and,  among 
the  rest.  Jewel,  bishop  of  Salisbury,  the  great  ornament 
of  his  age  for  learning  and  piety. 

About  forty  years  after  this,  a  foolish  story  was  set 
afloat,  that  Parker  was  not  truly  consecrated,  and  a  mise- 
rable fable  created  by  one  Neale,  who  had  been  chaplain 
to  Bonner,  about  what  was  called  the  nag's  head  ordina- 
tion. This  notion  was  not  thought  of  during  the  reign 
of  Elizabeth,  or  the  enemies  of  the  reformation  would 


Cent.  IC]  church:  OF  CHRIST.  107 

undoubtedly  have  spread  it  abroad.  But  it  pleased  God 
that,  when  tiie  story  was  invented,  there  was  one  witness 
living  able  to  contradict  it,  viz.  the  earl  of  Nottingham, 
wlio  saw  the  consecration.  Nor  was  tiiis  all,  for  the  re- 
gisters of  the  see  of  Canterbury,  and  tlie  records  of  the 
crown,  being  examined  into,  fully  set  the  question  at 
rest,  and  declared  the  validity  of  the  consecration.  More- 
over, the  original  instrument  of  archbishop  Parker's  con- 
secration, still  lies  among  his  other  papers  in  the  libmry 
of  Corpus  Christi  college  at  Cambridge.  The  object  in 
forging  this  tale,  undoubtedly  was  to  assault  the  validity 
of  ordinations  in  the  church  of  England,  by  endeavouring 
to  show  that  the  chain  of  descent  from  the  days  of  the 
apostles  had  been  broken;  but,  like  standers  in  general, 
it  ended  in  nothing  but  the  confusion  of  its  authors. 

Thus  were  the  sees  filled,  the  worship  reformed,  and 
the  queen's  injunctions  sent  over  England.  Three  things 
remained  to  be  done,  viz.  setting  forth  the  doctrine  of 
the  church,  translating  the  Bible  and  publishing  it  with 
short  notes,  and  regulating  the  ecctesiastical  courts. 
About  these  the  bishops  set  to  work. 

The  articles  proposed  were  the  same  with  those  of  the 
days  of  king  Edward,  except  some  slight  alterations, 
especially  leaving  the  doctrine  of  the  real  presence  un- 
touched. The  bishops  prepared  a  confutation  of  it,  but 
the  queen  and  the  council  appear  to  have  dashed  it  out. 
The  translation  of  the  Bible  was  committed  to  sundry 
bishops  and  others,  a  portion  being  assigned  to  each. 
The  first  impression  of  it  is  supposed  to  have  been  pub- 
lished in  1561.  As  for  the  canons  and  rules  of  church 
government,  they  were  not  soon  prepared.  Some  came 
out  in  the  year  1571,  and  more  in  1597.  "  But  this  part 
of  the  reformation  is  not  yet  finished,  for  penitentiary 


408  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C/m/;.  21, 

canons  have  not  been  set  up,  and  the  government  of  the 
church  is  not  yet  brought  into  the  hands  of  churchmen." 

And  thus  was  the  hght  of  truth  made  to  shine  once 
more  over  England. 

Unfortunately,  the  heats  that  had  been  engendered 
beyond  sea,  during  the  reign  of  Mary,  caused,  at  length, 
some  divisions  at  home.  A  few  sparks  had  been  kindled 
in  king  Edward^s  reign,  about  clergymen's  habits;  but 
these  were  buried  in  the  ashes  of  Hooper  and  Ridley. 
However,  they  broke  forth  again,  and  manifested  them- 
selves in  objections  against  the  vestments  of  the  inferior 
clergy,  and,  at  length,  against  bishops.  These  differences 
were  craftily  managed  by  some,  who  were  anxious  to 
improve  them  to  obtaining  a  division  of  the  church  lands, 
and,  for  the  sins  of  the  nation,  they  were  allowed  to  con- 
tinue. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

Faults  on  hath  Sides. — GnnilalL — Jlssociafioiis  of  the  Clergy.— 
Tijranny  of  Eli%aheth. — Wliitgift. 

Too  great  severity  was  used  in  England  against  those 
who  refused  to  conform  to  the  established  religion,  and 
too  little  regard  paid  to  their  scruples.  They  might  have 
been  retained  in  the  bosom  of  the  church  without  the 
sacrifice  of  any  thing  important.  They  considered  the 
church  as  sound  in  the  essentials  of  religion;  they  ob- 
jected not  against  episcopacy;  they  would  have  used  a 
liturgy;  but  those  at  the  head  of  affairs  were  unwilling 
to  yield  a  single  iota.  Faults  there  were  on  both  sides. 
The  puritans  were  wrong  in  considering  things  sinful 


Cent.  IG.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  409 

which  were  in  themselves  indiflcrent;  the  queen  and  her 
archbishop  erred  in  pressing  indifrerent  riles  with  seve- 
rity. A  separation  began  which  n)iglU  easily  have  been 
made  up  at  first,  but  wliich  grew  wider  by  time  and  by 
degrees,  until  it  was  made  permanent. 

Elizabeth  was  a  true  daughter  of  Henry  VIII.  and 
resolved  that  her  will  should  be  obeyed.  Siic  urged  on 
the  ejectment  of  ministers  who  refused  to  conform  in 
every  respect.  Her  orders  went  beyond  the  disposition 
of  the  commissioners  appointed  to  execute  them.  Cecil, 
her  secretary,  was  afraid  to  oppose  her,  and  even  the 
house  of  commons  was  intimidated. 

Two  successive  bishops  of  London,  Grindall  and 
Sandys  relaxed  the  persecution  against  the  puritans, 
and  would  not  go  to  the  extent  desired.  The  bishop  of 
Durham  declared  that  he  would  throw  up  his  bishopric 
rather  than  permit  such  severities  in  his  diocese.  But 
there  were  too  many  willing  to  obey  the  court. 

After  the  deatii  of  Parker,  Grindall  succeeded  him.. 
He  had  ever  manifested  an  opposition  to  the  queen's 
severity.  Among  other  means  of  advancing  the  know- 
ledge of  the  truth,  he  promoted  certain  associations  in 
the  different  dioceses,  the  principal  design  of  which  was 
to  stir  up  an  emulation  in  the  clergy  to  study  the  scrip- 
tures. These  commenced  under  archbishop  Parker. 
Such  was  the  want  of  disciphne  and  of  able  preaching, 
they  were  connived  at  by  the  commissioners  who  were 
appointed  to  inquire  into  all  novelties.  At  length  after 
they  had  been  carried  on  above  three  years  in  several 
dioceses,  under  the  title  of  prophesyings,  with  great  suc- 
cess, they  began  to  give  offence.  The  queen  was  told 
by  the  archbishop,  that  these  meetings  were  no  better 
than  seminaries  of  puritanism;  that  they  tended  to  popu- 

Vol..  IL  3  F 


410  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CVm^?.  2i. 

larity;  and  made  the  people  so  inquisitive,  that  they 
would  not  submit  to  the  orders  of  their  superiors,  as  they 
ought  to  do.  Tlie  diocese  of  Norwich  had  more  of  these 
associations  than  any  other,  as  being  most  favoured  by 
that  bishop;  and  there  several  of  the  clergy  had  disused 
the  habits,  and  made  the  discipline  of  the  church  the 
subject  of  their  discourses.  Upon  this  information,  her 
majesty  ordered  the  archbishop  to  suppress  these  meet- 
ings of  the  clergy  in  every  diocese,  and  to  begin  with 
Norwich,  which  his  grace  complied  with. 

Grindall  entertained  a  very  different  opinion  of  these 
associations  (which  went  by  the  name  of  prophesyings) 
from  archbishop  Parker.  He  apprehended  the  design 
to  be  very  serviceable  to  the  interests  of  religion,  by  im- 
proving both  the  clergy  and  the  people  in  the  knowledge 
of  the  scriptures,  and  the  defence  of  the  reformation. 
In  order  therefore  to  prevent  the  disorders  which  had 
been  complained  of  in  those  meetings,  the  archbishop 
drew  up  certain  regulations  for  them. 

Her  majesty  having  sent  for  Grindall,  and  exclaimed 
against  the  prophesyings,  as  illegal,  and  of  a  dangerous 
tendency  to  the  state  as  well  as  the  church,  for  which 
she  said  it  was  good  to  have  but  thi'ee  or  four  preachers 
in  a  county,  commanded  him  peremptorily  to  put  them 
down. 

The  queen  was  vehement  in  giving  her  orders,  and 
refused  to  hear  the  prelate's  answer,  with  apparent  tokens 
of  great  displeasure.  But  the  archbishop  though  he  had 
complied  with  her  injunctions,  and  now  and  then,  as  he 
was  in  a  manner  forced,  assisted  in  the  high  commission, 
yet  could  not  go  this  length  against  his  judgment  In- 
stead therefore  of  giving  directions  to  his  archdeacon. 
and  vicar  general  to  execute  the  queen's  command,  his 


Cent.  16.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  41] 

grace  wrote  her  a  letter,  becoming  the  rank  he  held  in 
the  church,  in  order  to  inform  her  majesty,  of  the  use- 
fulness and  necessity  of  preaching  in  all  churches,  and 
of  the  subserviency  of  the  exercises  to  qualify  the  clergy 
lor  this  purpose,  which  were  not  illegal  as  her  majesty 
had  apprehended.  The  letter  is  too  long  to  be  here  in- 
serted, but  it  does  so  much  honour  to  the  archbishop, 
that  I  cannot  omit  a  short  extract  from  it,  in  order  to 
give  the  reader  a. clearer  idea  of  this  prelate's  integrity, 
and  of  the  arbitrary  humour  of  this  queen.  After  making 
an  excuse  for  the  length  of  his  application,  he  humbly 
desires  her  majesty  to  afford  some  consideration  to  the 
two  following  requests  which  he  has  to  lay  before  her. 
The  first  was,  that  she  would  not  interpose  her  preroga- 
tive in  ecclesiastical  matters,  nor  carry  her  supremacy 
so  far  into  the  church,  as  to  decide,  in  her  own  person, 
points  of  doctrine  and  discipline,  without  the  advice  and 
approbation  of  her  bishops.  The  other  was,  that  when 
she  did  interpose  in  matters  of  faith  and  religion  which 
touch  the  church  of  Christ,  she  would  not  pronounce  so 
resolutely  and  peren)ptorily,  as  she  might  do  in  secular 
business.  By  this  means,  he  tells  her,  she  would  not 
only  consult  her  own  repose,  the  service  of  God  and  the 
benefit  of  her  people,  but  would  also  avoid  many  in- 
stances of  erroneous  conduct  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
He  calls  upon  her  to  remember  her  mortal  state,  and  not 
to  be  too  much  dazzled  with  her  crown  and  purple;  and 
that  in  things  of  this  nature,  the  will  of  God,  and  not  that 
of  any  earthly  creature,  is  to  govern.  lie  assures  her, 
that  it  was  owing  to  his  conscience  only,  that  he  had  not 
executed  her  commands  in  this  affair;  and  he  was  very 
willing  to  resign  his  see  with  all  humility  if  it  was  her 
majesty's  pleasure.    There  was  a  spirit  in  this  letter 


412  HISTORY  OF  THE  [CVtajj.  21. 

which  EHzabetli  had  not  been  used  to  see  in  any  subject, 
and  which  she  would  not  bear  from  any  of  them.  Even 
the  primate  of  all  England  should  not  dare  to  write  to 
her  with  that  honest  freedom,  to  give  his  advice  in  a/Tairs 
merely  religious,  or  to  dispute  her  all-wise  commands. 
Inflamed  therefore  with  this  letter,  she  determined  to 
make  an  example  of  the  archbishop,  as  a  terror  to  all 
others;  and  the  honest  prelate,  when  he  was  proceeding 
in  his  metropolitical  visitation,  was  by  an  order  of  the 
star-chamber  confined  to  his  house,  and  sequestered  from 
his  jurisdiction  for  six  months.  Here  was  a  display  of 
the  royal  supremacy  with  a  vengeance;  when  the  head 
of  the  church,  who  was  a  woman,  thus  took  upon  her  to 
decide  so  peremptorily  in  an  affair  merely  spiritual,  with- 
out consulting  the  bishops  or  the  clergy  in  convocation, 
and  to  imprison  and  tie  up  the  hands  of  the  primate,  be- 
cause he  disapproved  her  decision;  though  he  is  the  first 
director  under  the  prince  in  all  ecclesiastical  administra- 
tion. Before  the  six  months  were  lapsed,  the  archbishop 
was  advised  to  make  his  submission  to  the  queen,  which 
he  did  as  far  as  was  consistent  with  his  station  and  in- 
tegrity: but  not  being  willing  to  retract  his  opinion,  or  to 
confess  his  sorrow  for  the  counsel  he  had  given  her  ma- 
jesty, there  was  some  talk  of  depriving  him,  which  being 
thought  too  severe,  his  sequestration  was  continued. 
Thus  ended  the  religious  exercises  of  the  clergy,  so  well 
calculated  to  promote  useful  knowledge  and  piety,  at  a 
time  when  not  only  they  were  both  at  a  low  ebb  in  Eng- 
land, but  when  the  popish  missionaries  from  abroad  were 
very  busy,  and  with  great  success,  in  drawing  many  peo- 
ple from  church.  The  truth  is,  the  queen,  whose  piety 
had  been  sounded  v^ry  high,  apprehended  the  people 
would  be  put  upon  making  inquiries  into  every  thing, 


Cent.lG.^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  413 

and  to  see  and  judge  for  themselves,  in  consequence  of 
these  iTieetings;  and  she  was  of  opinion  that  knowledge 
and  learning  in  her  laity,  would  indispose  them  for  an 
absolute  submission  to  her  will  in  the  business  of  reli- 
gion. Notu  itlistanding  all  her  piety  therefore,  she  would 
not  permit  the  exercises  to  be  continued,  wisely  regu- 
lated as  they  were  by  the  archbishop;  and  when  there 
were  daily  complaints  made  in  the  city  of  London,  and 
almost  every  county  in  England,  of  the  scarcity  of  the 
word  of  God.* 

After  the  death  of  Grindall,  who  never  recovered  the 
queen's  favour,  Whitgift  succeeded  him.  He  enforced 
the  queen's  will  at  all  hazards.  Not  a  week  had  he  been 
in  power  before  he  began.  Two  hundred  and  thirty 
clergymen  were  suspended  at  his  first  visitation. 

He  drew  up  four-and-twenty  articles,  concerning  which 
the  lord  treasurer  wrote  him,  "  that  he  was  daily  charged 
by  the  privy  council,  and  public  persons,  with  neglect  of 
his  duty  in  not  staying  his  grace's  vehement  proceedings 
against  the  clergy,  whereby  papists  are  greatly  encou- 
raged, and  the  queen's  safety  endangered."  He  tells  his 
grace  further,  "  that  he  has  read  his  four-and-twenty  ar- 
ticles in  a  Romish  style,  of  great  length  and  curiosity, 
and  so  full  of  branches  and  circumstances,  that  he  thinks 
the  inquisition  of  Spain,  used  not  so  many  questions,  to 
comprehend  and  to  trap  their  priests."  But  "  his  grace" 
persisted.  Eight  lords  of  the  council  joined  in  a  letter 
to  him,  but  in  vain. 

In  consequence  of  this  unwarrantable  tenacity,  great 
warmth  was  excited  in  parliament,  which  met  imme- 
diately after,  and  the  puritans  gained  ground.     But  for 

"  Warner,  vol.  ij.  p.  448-50. 


414  HISTORY  OF  THE  IClitip.  Zh 

the  present  prerogative  prevailed.*  At  the  prorogation 
of  the  parhamcnt,  her  majesty  made  a  short,  but  an  ex- 
traordinary speech  to  the  two  houses.  She  took  notice 
"  that  some  people  had  been  very  busy  in  finding  fault 
with  the  clergy,  w^hich  was  a  censure  that  reflected  upon 
herself:  for  since  God  had  made  her  an  over-ruler  of  the 
church,  her  negligence  could  not  be  excused,  if  any 
schism  or  heresy  was  connived  at.  Some  misbehaviour 
and  omission  there  might  be  amongst  the  body  of  the 
clergy,  and  such  miscarriage  is  common  to  all  considera- 
ble offices:  all  which,  says  she,  if  you  my  lords  of  the 
clergy  do  not  amend,  I  mean  to  depose  you.  Look  you 
therefore  well  to  your  charges." 

She  determined  at  length  to  proceed  by  canon  and 
not  by  statute  with  reference  to  ecclesiastical  matters, 
and  even  rejected  an  act  enjoining  greater  obedience  to 
the  4th  commandment,  under  pretence  that  the  passing 
it  was  an  invasion  of  her  prerogative. 

In  1588,  the  archbishop  presented  sundry  orders  to 
convocation,  which  he  hoped  would  be  approved.  The 
first  related  to  the  constant  residence  of  those  who  had 
but  a  single  benefice,  with  an  exception  to  prebendaries, 
chaplains,  and  those  who  were  allowed  non-residence  by 
act  of  parliament;  compelling  them  however  in  these 
cases  to  keep  a  licensed  preaching  curate.  .  The  second 
obliged  those,  who  had  two  benefices,  to  reside  an  equal 
proportion  of  time  on  their  respective  livings,  and  provide 
a  licensed  curate  on  each  whilst  they  were  absent. 
Whoever  was  absent  an  hundred  and  twenty  days,  was 

to  keep  a  licensed  curate.     The  fourth  order  directs  all 

»■ 

*  In  giving  these  accounts,  I  am  guided  very  much  by  a  work  recommended 
to  rac  by  one  whose  knowledge  of  ecclesiastical  history  is  entitled  to  more  re- 
spect than  tliat  of  any  other  man  in  our  communion. — B.  A. 


Cent.iG.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  415 

scandalous  clergymen,  guilty  of  notorious  crimes,  to  be 
removed,  and  never  admitted  to  any  cure  again.  Un- 
learned ministers,  not  qualified  to  catechize,  are  barred 
admission  to  any  cure.  Lastly,  no  clergyman  is  allowed 
to  entertain,  or  displace  a  curate,  without  authority  from 
the  metropolitan  or  bishop,  of  the  diocese.  Tiiese  sea- 
sonable and  prudential  orders  were  agreed  to  by  both 
houses  of  convocation,  who  promised  to  obey  them  in 
every  part. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Calvinism, — Lavibdh  Articles. — Opbiion  of  a  Clergyman  of  the 
Church  of  England  concerning  Chnrchmen  and  Puritans. 

All  the  protestant  divines  in  England,  as  well  puritans 
as  others,  had  hitherto  appeared  to  be  of  one  opinion 
about  the  doctrines  of  faith:  but  now  there  arose  a  party 
which  were  first  for  softening,  and  then  for  overthrow- 
ing, the  received  opinions  about  predestination,  perse- 
verance, free-will,  effectual  grace,  and  the  extent  of 
Christ's  redemption.  The  articles  of  the  church  of 
England,  though  they  do  not  countenance  the  severest 
notions  of  zealous  Calvinists,  yet  had  hitherto  been  thought 
to  favour  the  Calvinian  system;  on  the  side  of  which  all 
the  puritans  to  a  man  declared,  as  well  as  the  greatest 
number  of  the  established  clergy.  The  Arminian  tenets, 
as  they  were  called  afterwards,  were  looked  upon  at  first 
as  bordering  upon  popery,  which  made  them  much  dis- 
liked: but  as  they  grew  into  repute,  the  Calvinists  were 
reckoned  old  fashioned  divines;  whilst  they  in  return 
looked  ou  the  others  as  little  better  than  novelists.    The 


416  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C'/ta^n  2£. 

controversy  began  at  Cambridge;  where  one  Barret,  fel- 
low of  Caius  college,  declared  himself  against  Calvin's 
doctrine  of  predestination  and  falling  from  grace;  for 
which  he  was  called  before  the  vice  chancellor  and  some 
©f  the  heads,  and  obliged  to  retract  his  opinion  in  St. 
Mary's  church.  An  application  having  been  made  by 
both  parties  to  the  archbishop,  Barret  was  sent  for  to 
Lambeth,  and  having  been  reprimanded  for  his  errors, 
and  exhorted  to  confess  his  ignorance  and  mistakes,  he 
chose  rather  to  quit  his  fellowship;  and  soon  after  turned 
papist.  To  put  an  end  to  these  disputes,  the  university 
sent  Whitaker  the  queen's  professor,  and  some  other 
eminent  predestinarians,  to  the  archbishop,  who  calling 
in  some  bishops  and  divines  to  his  assistance  upon  these 
points,  they  concluded  upon  some  propositions  strictly 
Calvinistical,  called  the  Lambeth  articles,  to  which  the 
scholars  in  the  university  were  to  submit.  When  the 
queen  was  informed  of  what  they  had  done,  she  was  ex- 
tremely disobliged  at  so  public  a  resolution:  and  had  it 
not  been  for  the  interest  of  some  of  the  archbishop's 
friends,  and  the  particular  regard  which  her  majesty 
had  for  this  prelate,  she  had  ordered  all  that  met  on  this 
occasion  to  be  prosecuted  to  a  premunire.  However  she 
ordered  Sir  Rob.  Cecil  to  acquaint  his  grace  by  letter, 
"that  she  very  much  misliked  that  any  allowance  had 
been  given  by  him  and  his  brethren,  for  any  such  points 
lo  be  disputed,  being  a  matter  tender  and  dangerous  to 
weak  ignorant  minds;  and  thereupon  commanded  him  to 
suspend  the  urging  them  publicly,  or  suffering  them  to  be 
debated  in  the  pulpit."  The  archbishop  excused  him- 
self by  alleging,  that  they  were  not  intended  as  any  new 
Jaws,  or  decrees,  but  only  as  an  explication  of  certain 
points,  which  they  apprehended  to  be  true,  and  corres- 


Cent.  16.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  417 

pondent  to  the  doctrine  professed  in  the  church  of  Eng- 
land. But  if  this  had  hcen  the  general  doctrine  of  the 
English  reformation,  the  homilies  on  Christ's  nativity, 
and  the  resurrection,  would  have  spoke  another  lan- 
guage than  they  have,  about  the  extent  of  his  redemp- 
tion, and  falling  finally  from  grace.  The  Calvinistical 
system  however,  it  must  be  owned,  seems  at  that  time  to 
have  been  the  general  and  governing  persuasion  of  both 
the  universities,  and  of  the  greatest  part  of  the  clergy, 
though  the  church  reformed  upon  different  principles, 
and  though  the  articles  were  compiled  with  a  latitude  to 
admit  subscription  by  persons  of  other  sentiments.* 

The  writer  from  whom  we  continue  to  extract,  thus 
expresses  himself,  with  reference  to  the  dispute  between 
the  church  and  the  puritans.  His  views  are  here  pre- 
sented as  those  of  a  respectable  clergyman  of  the  church 
of  England,  in  the  reign  of  George  II.  Adverting  to  the 
fact,  that  toward  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  both 
opposition  and  persecution  began  to  relax,  he  says,  in- 
deed it  was  high  time  that  these  contests  subsided;  for 
whilst  each  side  was  thus  busied  in  disputing  about  the 
form,  the  power  of  godliness  in  this  kingdom  was  almost 
at  an  end.  The  established  clergy  generally  lost  ground; 
the  diligence  of  the  popish  missionaries,  w-ho  took  advan- 
tage from  these  disputes,  revived  the  catholic  religion 
with  great  success;  and  in  the  remoter  countries  and 
villages  the  people  were  either  papists,  or  had  no  religion 
at  all.  Thus  whilst  the  two  parties  were  striving  for 
victory,  they  were  inattentive,  or  rather  they  sacriticed 
willingly  the  common  interest  of  religion;  and  let  in 
popery,  and  immorality,  to  destroy  them  both.  I  believe 
I  do  not  censure  them  more  severely  than  they  deserve, 

"  Wamcr,  vol.  ii.  p.  467'..  ^ 

vau  ir.  r,  a 


418  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.  9.-2. 

when  I  say  that  both  parties  were  striving  for  the  victory; 
the  governors  of  the  church  in  the  beginning,  and  the 
puritans  in  the  progress  of  this  controversy.  The  queen 
and  her  bishops  had  set  out  upon  riglit  and  undoubted 
principles;  that  where  there  is  no  contradiction  to  the 
laws  of  God,  the  church,  like  other  societies,  has  a  power 
to  make  what  laws  she  apprehends  to  be  decent  and  ne- 
cessary for  her  well  being  and  government;  and  where 
the  scripture  is  silent,  human  authority  may  interpose. 

But  these  principles,  in  the  reason  of  things  did  not 
carry  them,  and  in  fact  should  not  have  carried  them, 
the  lengths  they  went,  in  not  tolerating  or  conniving  at 
tender  consciences.  Had  they  not  contended  for  the 
victory  and  to  procure  an  universal  submission,  the  way 
at  first  was  short  and  plain;  and  to  have  dispensed  only 
with  a  few  indifferent  things,  during  the  lives  of  the  in- 
cumbents who  had  been  exiles,  taking  care  that  none  of 
the  rising  generation  should  have  been  tainted  with  these 
prejudices,  would  have  prevented  this  flame,  which  has 
had  such  fatal  consequences,  and  which  will  probably 
be  aever  quite  extinguished  but  together  with  tlie  church 
itself.  This  lenity  and  indulgence  was  granted  after- 
wards, but  it  was  then  too  late  to  become  a  remedy  and 
to  prevent  a  separation  already  formed.  The  puritans, 
on  the  other  hand,  in  getting  far  enough  from  popery, 
ran  weakly  and  enthusiastically  into  the  other  extreme; 
and  with  their  prejudices,  which  were  not  to  be  over- 
come with  severity,  they  had  their  passions  and  perverse- 
iiess  in  common  with  other  men.  When  the  governors 
of  the  church  had  divested  themselves  of  their  under- 
standing, and  intended  to  compel  the  judgment,  the  pu- 
ritans, by  a  natural  consequence,  grew  more  obstinate; 
and  the^same  men,  who  at  first  had  but  few  objections 


Cent.n.'}  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  41J) 

to  the  establishment,  were  not  satisfied  till  they  had 
wholly  separated  from  it,  framed  a  wild  tyrannical  sys- 
tem of  government  and  discipline  of  their  own,  which 
they  wanted  to  get  established,  and  at  the  hazard  of  their 
lives  maintained  it.  *  *  *  *  In  short,  the  one  side 
was  uncharitable,  the  other  was  perverse,  and  both  sides 
were  weak.  I  take  this  to  be  the  candid,  impartial,  state 
of  the  case  between  them. 


^t\ymtuntt)  Centurp. 


CHAPTER  I. 

James. — Bancroft. — Plot. — Translation  of  the  Bible. —  Want  of 
Toleratioji. — Jrchblshop  Abbot, 

King  James  the  First,  who  regarded  nothing  so  much 
as  being  esteemed  the  Solomon  of  the  age,  seemed  to 
expect  that  all  would  submit  to  his  superior  wisdom. 
He  appointed  a  conference  between  sundry  churchmen 
and  puritans  at  Hampton  Court,  at  which  he  himself 
largely  assisted.  The  result  was,  a  declaration  in  favour 
of  the  church.  Time  was  given  the  puritans  to  conform, 
and  some  of  their  objections  were  shown  to  be  ground- 
less: as,  for  instance,  baptism  by  midwives,  though  prac- 
tised, was  stated  to  be  not  allowed  by  the  church,  and 
therefore  not  with  propriety  brought  as  a  charge  against 


\.20  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChup.  1. 

her:  confirmation  it  was  proved  was  not  considered  ne* 
cessary  to  the  completion  of  haptisiiif  but  as  distinct  there- 
from, and  having  its  pecuhar  use:  moreover,  it  was  shown 
to  have  existed  in  the  Christian  church  from  the  earhest 
ages. 

Bancroft,  bishop  of  London,  was  translated  to  the  See 
of  Canterbury,  after  the  death  of  Whitgift.  He  was  the 
first  man  who  preached  up  the  divine  right  of  episcopacy 
in  England. 

Encouraged  by  him,  James  endeavoured  to  exalt  his 
prerogative  above  law,  and  thus  excited  an  increasing 
hostility  against  himself. 

The  papists  sought  a  summary  way  of  destroying  all 
effects  of  the  reformation  in  England,  by  means  of  the 
famous  gunpowder  plot;  but  this,  as  is  well  known,  was 
frustrated. 

It  was  in  the  reign  of  James,  the  translation  of  the 
Bible  now  used  in  England  and  America,  took  place. 
The  work  was  assigned  to  fifty-four  of  the  most  eminent 
divines  in  the  two  universities,  divided  into  six  compa- 
nies, and  it  was  executed  by  them  with  the  utmost  care. 
Indeed  the  result  of  their  labours  is  not  only  regarded  as 
a  remarkably  correct  translation  of  the  sacred  word,  but 
as  the  very  finest  specimen  of  the  English  tongue.  Their 
language,  at  the  age  of  a  century,  has  all  the  freshness 
of  youth. 

The  spirit  of  the  reformation  was  perfect  mildness 
when  compared  to  that  of  popery,  and  the  latter  slew 
thousands  where  the  former  put  to  death  one;  yet  the  duty 
of  toleration  was  not  thoroughly  understood  even  by  pro- 
testants.  What  Collier  calls  the  "  unrelenting  strictness'^ 
of  Bancroft,  proved  this.    And  James  was  not  slow  in 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OP  CHRIST.  121 

discovering  it.  His  aim  to  deprive  the  clergy  of  the 
benefit  of  statute  law  and  keep  them  dependant  on  pre- 
rogative alone,  his  violence  toward  here  and  there  an 
Arian,  and  his  treatment  of  non-conformists,  show  that 
he  needed  the  charity  of  the  gospel.  His  disregard  of 
the  positive  command  of  the  decalogue  was  equally  mani- 
fest. He  even,  in  1617,  published  a  declaration  called 
a  "  book  of  sports,"  the  object  of  which  was  to  prove 
that  pastimes  on  .Sunday  were  allowable.  He  gave  as  a 
reason,  that  the  papists  would  gain  proselytes  if  the  church 
was  too  strict.  His  conduct  in  this  respect  excited  great 
dissatisfaction.  Archbishop  Abbot,  who  succeeded  Ban- 
croft, forbad  its  being  read.  Several  other  bishops  mani- 
fested their  opposition,  and  had  the  king  pressed  the 
reading  of  it  under  severe  penalties,  violent  convulsions 
would  have  arisen. 

The  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Abbot,  not  approving 
of  the  king's  arbitrary  measures,  was  reckoned  among 
the  puritans;  and  the  papists  were  countenanced  and  re- 
ceived into  favour.  A  marriage  was  proposed  between 
prince  Charles  and  a  daughter  of  Rome.  But  in  obe- 
dience to  the  summons  of  a  monarch  more  powerful  than 
the  children  of  men,  James  descended  to  the  dust,  leaving 
to  his  son  a  tottering  throne. 


CHAPTER  H. 

Charles  I. — Discontents. — Arclibishojt  Abbot. — Laud. 

The  first  thing  that  we  meet  with  relating  to  the  church 
m  the  reign  of  Charles,  was  the  regulation  of  his  chap- 
lains; of  whom,  Laud,  bishop  of  St.  David's,  whom  the 


422  HISTORY  OF  THE  [67m;?.  £. 

duke  of  Buckingham  had  made  his  privy  counsellor  for 
the  church,  was  ordered  to  make  a  hst,  distinguishing 
the  Arminiaus,  who  were  called  orthodox,  and  the  Cal- 
vinists,  who  went  under  the  name  of  puritans.  At  the 
same  time,  Laud  had  orders  to  consult  with  bishop  An- 
drews, in  what  manner  to  manage  with  respect  to  the 
five  distinguishing  points  of  Calvinism,  in  the  ensuing 
convocation. 

Parliament  complained  to  the  king  of  the  encourage- 
ment shown  to  papists,  their  great  resort  to  the  city,  the 
education  of  the  children  of  the  realm  in  foreign  lands, 
and  the  various  other  insidious  means  by  which  the 
Jesuits  were  gaining  influence  for  Rome,  and  making 
proselytes.  His  majesty  made  sundry  promises,  but  little 
was  done  to  prevent  the  continuance  of  the  evils  com- 
plained of. 

An  assize  sermon  having  been  preached  by  a  Dr. 
Sibthorp,  in  which  passive  obedience  was  inculcated,  the 
king  sent  directions  to  archbishop  Abbot  to  license  it. 
The  archbishop  had  too  much  sense  and  honesty  and  re- 
gard for  the  laws  and  liberties  of  his  country,  to  obey 
the  king's  command.  Whereupon,  Laud  was  employ- 
ed to  make  some  corrections,  and  it  was  licensed  by  the 
bishop  of  London.  The  king  was  so  much  offended 
with  the  archbishop  for  his  faithfulness,  that  he  banish- 
ed him  from  Canterbury. — How  are  these  records  full 
of  proof  of  the  awful  consequences  of  uniting  church 
and  state! 

Laud  was  declared  prime  minister  in  church  and  state, 
and  Dr.  Manwaring,  who  was  sentenced  by  parliament 
for  preaching  arbitrary  notions,  was  pardoned  and  ad- 
vanced. These  circumstances  increased  the  growing 
discontent.    His  majesty  dissolved  the  parliament  with 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  453 

the  highest  marks  of  his  displeasure.  It  became  now  a 
warm  contest  between  prerogative  and  freedom.  The 
king  resolved  not  to  surrender  his  claim,  and  the  people 
resolved  not  to  yield  their  rights.  Laud,  who,  on  the 
death  of  Abbot,  was  made  archbishop,  was  so  wedded  to 
tlie  childish  nmltiplication  of  rites,  and  so  rigorous  in 
insisting  upon  new  observances,  he  was  by  no  means 
calculated  to  heal  the  opening  breach  between  Charles 
and  his  people.  Though  the  general  humour  of  the  na- 
tion was  then  in  the  opposite  extreme  to  superstition,  and 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  ancient  ceremonies,  to 
which  men  had  been  accustomed,  and  which  had  been 
sanctified  by  the  practice  of  the  first  reformers,  could  be 
retained  in  divine  service,  yet  this  was  the  time  which 
the  bishop  chose,  to  introduce  some  new  observances, 
which  gave  the  English  church  an  air  of  resemblance  to 
the  Catholic  superstition;  and  which  he  imposed  with  a 
pride  and  petulance,  that  were  well  nigh  as  olfensive  as 
the  things  themselves.  The  holy  see  itself  gained  hopes 
of  regaining  its  authority  in  the  island,  and  an  offer  was 
twice  made  to  Laud  in  private  of  a  cardinal's  hat,  in  or- 
der to  forward  his  good  intentions:  but  his  answer  was, 
as  he  says  himself,  "  that  something  dwelt  within  him, 
which  would  not  suffer  his  compliance,  till  Rome  was 
other  than  it  is."  It  is  very  certain,  that  it  was  the 
opinion  of  many  people  at  that  time,  that  this  prelate's 
scheme  was  to  lead  the  English  by  gradual  steps  back  to 
popery.  Thus  the  earl  of  Devonshire's  daughter,  having 
turned  Catholic,  and  being  asked  the  reason  of  it  by 
Laud,  she  said  "  it  was  chieily  because  she  hated  to  travel 
in  a  crowd;  she  perceived  his  lordship,  and  many  others, 
were  making  haste  to  Rome,  and  therefore  in  order  to 
prevent  her  being  crowded  she  had  gone  before  them." 


424  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChap.  S. 

I  find  no  evidence  to  convince  me,  thai  he  had  any  de- 
sign of  re-estabhshing  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  in 
England;  unless  we  confound,  as  many  did  in  those  days, 
high  church  with  popery,  through  a  pure  spirit  of  party. 
His  conduct  however  afforded  his  enemies  a  great  handle 
against  him.  Several  divines  of  the  university  of  Oxford 
were  expelled,  for  preaching  against  Arminianism;  many 
others  were  silenced,  suspended,  or  imprisoned  by  the 
high  commission  for  the  same  offence,  and  for  preaching 
against  pictures  and  images  in  churches.  Thus  by  the 
fatal  policy  and  indiscretion  of  this  hot  and  furious  pre- 
late, many  people,  well  affected  to  the  church  of  England, 
but  enemies  to  Arm.inianism,  or  to  arbitrary  power,  were 
driven  in  spite  of  themselves  to  join  with  the  puritans, 
in  order  to  strengthen  their  party,  and  to  enable  them 
to  oppose  the  illegal  measures  of  the  government. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

Sundaij    Sports. — Long    Parliament. — Dissenters. — Persecution 
by  the  Puritans. 

To  the  horror  of  the  sober  part  of  the  nation  the  book 
of  Sunday  sports  was  again  published.  The  king  also 
consented  that  the  queen  should  have  an  agent  from  the 
pope  for  directing  her  affairs  in  religion. 

At  length,  on  the  third  of  November,  1640,  began  the 
sessions  of  that  famous  parliament  which  not  only  assert- 
ed the  freedom  which  the  Bible  teaches  us  belongs  to 
man,  but  threw  both  church  and  kingdom  into  a  state  of 
anarchy.  The  men  who  by  study  of  the  sacred  volume 
had  found  out  their  inalienable  rights,  contended  for 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  405 

those  rights  as  it  became  them:  but  a  wild  licentious 
spirit  was  generated  in  the  contest,  more  unreasonable 
than  the  spirit  of  Charles  himself.  A  new  tyranny  was 
introduced,  the  tyranny  of  fanaticism. 

In  the  reign  of  queen  IMary,  diflercnces  arose  among 
the  refugees  at  Frankfort,  which  laid  the  foundation  of 
subsequent  divisions  in  Scotland  as  well  as  England. 
Some,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  using  the  English 
liturgy  at  home,,  thought  that,  vvj]ile  they  continued  in 
foreign  lands,  they  ought  to  use  llie  liturgy  of  the  coun- 
try where  they  sojourned;  and  hence,  instead  of  their 
own,  adopted,  for  the  time,  a  liturgy  similar  to  the  Ge- 
•  neva  and  French  forms.  Otliers  were  of  opinion,  that, 
as  those  in  England  who  compiled  the  liturgy,  were  con- 
firming what  they  had  done  with  their  blood,  it  was  a 
contempt  of  them,  and  of  their  sufferings,  to  depart  from 
their  forms.  This  dissention,  like  all  others,  went  far- 
ther than  was  at  first  intended;  for,  those  who  were 
merely  for  exchanging  the  English  for  the  Genevan 
liturgy  while  tliey  were  abroad,  began,  at  length,  to  quar- 
rel with  some  things  in  the  English  liturgy  itself,  Knox, 
being  a  man  of  hot  temper,  engaged  in  this  dispute 
warmly,  and  procured  his  friend  Calvin,  to  write  against 
those  obnoxious  parts.  Knox  himself  was  banished  by 
the  senate  of  Frankfort,  for  writing  indecently  of  the 
emperor;  whereupon  he  and  his  party  went  to  Geneva. 
Another  difficulty  arose  on  the  subject  of  discipline; 
some  of  the  people  wishing  to  take  the  punishment  of 
offenders  out  of  the  hands  of  the  ministers,  and  share  it 
among  the  whole  congregation.  The  views  of  Knox 
became  the  views  of  Scotland,  and  the  injudicious  efforts 
made  from  time  to  time  to  drive  the  Scotch  to  the  adop- 
tion of  episcopacy  and  a  liturgy,  fixed  them  more  firmly 
Vol..  IT.  3  H       . 


426  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  S: 

in  opposition.  These  too  were  connected  with  other 
elibrts,  which  aimed  at  civil  Hberty.  The  church  has 
ever  suffered  most  from  the  injudicious  conduct  of  vio- 
lent friends. 

The  Scotch  entered  into  a  covenant  filled  with  invec- 
tives, against  all  that  they  chose  to  think  savoured  of 
popery.  By  this  covenant  they  bound  themselves  to  re- 
sist innovations,  and  to  defend  each  other  against  all  op- 
position whatsoever. 

In  both  kingdoms,  therefore,  there  rose  a  violent  as- 
sault upon  Charles.  His  chief  counsellor.  Laud,  was 
sent  to  the  Tower. 

Parliament  endeavoured  to  deprive  the  bishops  of 
their  vote  in  the  house  of  peers,  and  such  were  the 
assaults  made  upon  them,  they  saw  it  was  no  longer  safe 
for  them  to  go  to  the  house.  The  archbishop  of  York 
and  twelve  of  his  brethren  signed  a  protestation  ai:;ainst 
all  proceedings  that  should  take  place  during  their  violent 
expulsion.  They  were  accused  of  high  treason  by  the 
commons,  and  sent  to  the  Tower.  After  this  the  puritans 
succeeded  in  obtaining  a  vote  of  both  houses,  depriving 
all  the  bishops  of  their  seats  in  parliament. 

Had  the  commons  gone  no  farther  than  the  separation 
of  churchmen  from  the  cares  and  duties  of  political  life, 
they  would  have  achieved  a  great  good:  but  they  aimed  at 
a  change  in  the  internal  regulations  of  the  church  itself. 
They  sought  the  abolition  of  episcopacy,  as  a  form  of 
church 'government.  They  denounced  all  the  episcopal 
clergy  as  ignorant  and  vicious.  In  the  course  of  the  war 
which  took  place  between  them  and  the  king,  they  turn- 
ed about  two  thousand  out  of  their  livings.  To  gratify 
the  Scotch,  they  determined  to  establish  a  presbyterian 
church  government.     They  imposed,  as  a  test,  upon  all 


C-nt.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  427 

persons  above  eighteen  years  of  age,  a  ''  solemn  league 
and  covenant,"  similar  to  the  Scotch.  Clergymen  who 
refused  it  were  turned  out  of  their  livings;  and  it  was 
wielded  as  a  weapon  against  all  who  would  not  believe 
with  its  authors.  One  hundred  and  ninety-five  graduates 
were  expelled  the  university  at  Cambridge,  for  refusing 
this  test. 

An  assembly  of  such  divines  as  the  knights  and  bur- 
gesses thought  proper  to  reconnnend,  was  gathered  to- 
gether for  the  purpose  of  acting  in  ecclesiastical  alTairs 
under  the  direction  of  parliauient.  Of  above  an  hundred 
and  twenty,  of  which  that  assembly  was  to  consist,  there 
were  not  above  twenty,  says  lord  Clarendon,  "  who  were 
not  declared  and  avowed  enemies  to  the  doctrine  and 
discipline  of  the  church  of  England,  some  of  them  in- 
famous in  their  lives  and  conversations,  and  most  of  them 
of  very  mean  parts  in  learning,  if  not  of  scandalous  igno- 
rance." But  as  Mr.  Neal,  and  others,  have  objected  to 
the  noble  historian's  testimony  as  a  prejudiced  person, 
the  reader  shall  see  what  is  said  of  them  by  the  famous 
Milton,  a  known  republican,  and  enemy  to  the  king. 
"If  the  state  were  in  this  pliglit,  religion  was  not  in  a 
much  better:  to  reform  which  a  certain  number  of  di- 
vines were  called,  neither  chosen  by  any  rule  nor  cus- 
tom ecclesiastical,  nor  eminent  for  either  piety,  or  know- 
ledge, above  others  left  out.  The  most  part  of  them 
were  such,  as  had  preached  and  ci  ied  down,  with  great 
show  of  zeal,  the  avarice  and  pluralities  of  bishops  and 
prelates,  that  one  cure  of  souls  was  a  full  employment 
for  one  spiritual  pastor,  how  able  soever,  if  not  a  charge 
above  human,  strength.  Yet  these  conscientious  men 
ere  any  part  of  the  work  was  done  for  which  they  came 
together,  and  that  on  the  public  salary,  wanted  not  bold- 


428  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  6. 

ness,  to  the  ignominy  and  scandal  of  their  pastor-iike 
profession  and  especially  of  their  boasted  reformation, 
to  seize  into  their  hands,  or  not  unvvilHngly  to  accept,, 
besides  one,  sometimes  two,  or  more,  of  the  best  livings, 
collegiate  masterships,  in  the  universities,  rich  lectures 
in  the  city,  setting  sail  to  all  winds  that  might  blow  gain 
into  their  covetous  bosoms. — But  while  they  taught  com- 
pulsion without  convincement,  which  not  long  before 
they  complained  of,  as  executed  unchristianly  against 
themselves,  these  intents  are  clear  to  have  been  no  bet- 
ter than  antichristian;  setting  up  a  spiritual  tyranny  by  a 
secular  power  to  the  advancing  of  their  own  authority 
above  the  magistrate,  whom  they  would  have  made  their 
executioners  to  punish  church  delinquencies,  whereof 
civil  laws  have  no  cognizance. — Looking  on  the  church- 
men whom  they  saw  under  subtle  hypocrisy,  to  have 
preached  their  own  follies,  most  of  them,  not  the  gospel; 
time  servers,  covetous,  illiterate  persecutors,  not  lovers 
of  the  truth,  and  like  in  most  things  whereof  they  accused 
their  predecessors.^' 

Before  the  meeting  of  this  assembly  the  king  forbad  it 
by  a  proclamation;  declaring  that  the  acts  done  by  them 
ought  not  to  be  received  by  his  subjects,  and  threatening 
to  proceed  against  the  divines  with  the  utmost  severity  of 
the  law.  Nevertheless,  sixty-nine  assembled  in  Henry 
the  Seventh's  chapel  according  to  their  summons,  having 
few  or  no  episcopal  divines  among  them. 

After  succeeding  against  the  church,  the  body  of  pu- 
ritans began  to  manifest  divisions,  which  before  were 
comparatively  secret.  These  divisions  were  three:  pres- 
byterians,  erastians,  and  independents.  The  former  had 
taken  their  plan  from  Scotland,  and  had  now  advanced 
it  into  a  "divine  institution,''  derived  expressly  from 


Cent.  IT."]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  429 

Christ,  and  his  apostles:  but  this  met  ivith  as  much  op- 
position from  the  other  sectaries  as  episcopacy  itselT. 
The  erastians,  who  believed  the  government  of  the  church 
to  be  a  creature  of  the  stale,  would  not  admit  the  pasto- 
ral office  to  be  any  thing  more  than  persuasive;  and  de- 
nied any  spiritual  jurisdiction  or  coercive  power  over  the 
conscience,  or  that  any  one  form  of  church  government 
was  prescribed  in  scripture,  as  a  rule  to  future  ages. 
For  this  opinion  they  had  the  authority  of  many  of  our 
first  reformers. 

The  independents  made  a  third  party;  the  political 
principles  and  genius  of  which  were  not  understood  by 
lord  Clarendon,  Rapin,  nor  Mr.  Hume.  The  fathers  of 
this  sect  were  divines  who  had  fled  from  England,  under 
the  prosecutions  of  Elizabeth  and  in  the  reign  of  James, 
and  had  settled  at  Rotterdam,  and  in  Guelderland:  where, 
to  use  their  own  language,  "  they  looked  upon  the  word 
of  Christ,  as  impartially  and  unprejudicedly  as  men  are 
ever  like  to  do;  the  place  they  went  to,  the  condition 
they  were  in,  and  the  company  they  went  with,  affording 
no  temptation  to  any  bias."  The  principles  upon  which 
they  founded  their  church  government,  were  to  confine 
themselves  to  scripture  precedent,  without  any  regard  to 
ancient  practice,  or  modern  innovations;  and  not  to  tie 
themselves  up  to  their  present  resolutions,  without  room 
for  alteration  upon  any  further  views  and  inquiry.  On 
these  principles  they  built  a  system,  "  that  every  particu- 
lar congregation  of  Christians  has  an  entire  and  com- 
plete power  of  jurisdiction  over  its  members,  to  be  exer- 
cised by  the  elders  thereof  within  itself"  But  they  did 
not  claim  such  an  entire  independency  with  regard  to 
other  churches,  as  that  an  offending  church  is  not  to 
submit  to  an  open  examination  by  other  neighbouring 


430  HISTORY  OK  THE  iCIiap.  3. 

churches,  who  may  renounce  communion  with  it  for  per- 
sisting in  their  error;  which  was  all  tiie  ecclesiastical 
authority  which  they  thought  could  be  exercised,  without 
calling  in  the  civil  magistrate,  for  which  they  found  no 
ground  in  scripture.  They  practised  no  church  censures 
but  admonition,  and  upon  obstinate  offenders  for  crimes 
of  the  last  importance,  excommunication.  They  pro- 
fessed an  agreement  in  doctrine  with  the  articles  of  the 
church  of  England;  and  their  officers  and  public  rulers 
in  the  church,  were  pastors,  teachers,  and  elders,  being 
all  ecclesiastical  persons  separated  to  that  service,  and 
deacons.  Though  they  did  not  approve  of  a  prescribed 
form  of  worship,  yet  they  thought  public  prayers  should 
be  framed  by  the  meditation  and  study  of  their  ministers: 
and  they  offered  up  public  prayers  for  kings  and  all  that 
were  in  authority,  read  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament  in  their  assemblies,  administered  the  sa- 
craments of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  sung  psalms, 
and  made  a  collection  for  the  poor  every  Sunday.  In 
short,  though  they  did  not  admit  of  persons  unordained 
to  any  office,  except  as  probationers  for  the  ministry,  yet 
they  did  not  think  "  preaching  so  peculiarly  confined  to 
pastors  and  teachers,  but  that  others  also  gifted  and  fitted 
for  it  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  approved,  being  by  lawful 
ways  and  means  called  thereunto  by  Providence,  may 
publicly,  ordinarily,  and  constantly  peiform  it,  so  that 
they  give  themselves  up  thereunto."  As  to  their  politi- 
cal principles,  which  our  historians  have  misunderstood, 
they  set  forth  a  declaration,  "  that  as  magistracy  and 
government  in  general  is  the  ordinance  of  God,  they  do 
not  disapprove  of  any  form  of  civil  government,  but  do 
freely  acknowledge  that  a  kingly  government,  bounded 
by  just  and  wholesome  laws,  is  both  allowed  by  God,  and 


Cent  IT.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  431 

a  good  accommodation  unto  men."  I  have  been  the 
n»ore  particular  in  giving  the  reader  this  account,  not 
only  as  the  party  of  the  independents  grew  up  into  an 
establishment  on  the  ruins  of  the  rest,  but  also  as  ahiiost 
all  the  historians,  besides  those  I  have  mentioned,  have 
confounded  them  with  the  anaba[)tists,  who  at  this  lime 
appeared  in  England,  who  were  republican  in  their  prin- 
ciples of  civil  government,  and  had  no  regard  to  learning, 
or  ordination,  in  their  teachers.* 

The  assembly  of  divines  having  given  their  advice  to 
the  parliament  in  what  manner  to  provide  for  a  succes- 
sion in  the  ministry,  the  two  houses  passed  an  ordinance, 
in  October,  1644,  for  ordination;  appointing  ten  of  the 
members  of  the  assenibly,  and  thirteen  presbyters  of  the 
city  of  London,  to  examine,  and  ordain  by  imposition  of 
hands,  all  those  whom  they  thought  qualified  to  be  ad- 
mitted. Seven  of  these  divines  were  to  make  a  quorum, 
and  "  all  persons  ordained  by  them,  were  to  be  reputed 
ministers  of  the  church  of  England,  sufficiently  authorized 
for  any  office  or  employment,  and  capable  of  all  advan- 
tages appertaining  to  the  same."  The  point  of  ordina- 
tion being  thus  settled,  the  assembly  proceeded  next  to 
settle  a  form  of  public  worship:  for  though  the  liturgy 
had  been  set  aside  above  a  year  before,  yet  there  was  no 
other  form  appointed  in  its  stead. 

At  last  came  out  "  a  directory  for  public  worship," 
established  in  January,  1645,  by  an  ordinance  of  the 
two  houses;  allowing  full  indulgence  to  the  public  teach- 
ers in  their  prayers  and  sermons. 

The  ordinance  for  establishing  this  directory  repeals 
the  acts  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth,  by  which  the  liturgy 
had  been  established;  and  forbids  the  use  of  it  in  every 

•  Warner 


43^  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  S. 

place  of  public  worship  throughout  England  and  Wales. 
But  it  was  a  considerable  time  before  this  great  revolu- 
tion in  the  form  of  public  worship  took  place  over  the 
kingdom.  In  some  parts  of  the  country,  the  church 
wardens  could  not  procure  a  directory;  in  others  they 
despised  it,  and  continued  the  common  prayer  book; 
some  would  read  no  form,  and  others  would  read  one  of 
their  own.  In  order,  therefore,  to  give  life  to  their  esta- 
blishment, the  parliament,  in  the  following  summer,  call- 
ed in  all  the  common  prayer  books,  and  imposed  a  fine 
upon  such  ministers  as  should  read  any  other  form  than 
that  contained  in  the  directory.  The  same  ordinance 
forbids  the  use  of  the  common  prayer  book  in  any  private 
place  or  family,  under  the  penalty  of  five  pounds  for  the 
first  offence,  ten  pounds  for  the  second,  and  for  the  third 
a  year's  imprisonment.  Whosoever  did  not  observe  the 
directory  was  to  forfeit  forty  shillings,  and  those  who 
wrote,  preached,  or  printed  any  thing  in  derogation  of 
it,  were  to  forfeit  not  less  than  five,  nor  more  than  fifty 
pounds,  to  the  use  of  the  poor.  Here  was  liberty  of 
conscience  indeed,  when  the  liturgy  was  forbidden  to 
closets  and  private  families! 

The  anabaptists,  too,  were  imprisoned  and  otherwise 
treated  with  great  rigour. 

Archbishop  Laud  was  tried  and  executed. 

We  see  from  these  accounts,  that  when  men  are  not 
renewed  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  it  matters  not  what  prin- 
ciples they  declare,  they  will  persecute.  We  may  usually 
judge  of  their  principles  by  the  degree  in  which  they  per- 
secute; but  though  the  benevolence  of  the  gospel  be  on 
the  tongue,  the  heart  that  is  unsanctified  will  crush  the 
opponents  who  are  in  its  power.  Heathen  Rome  de- 
voured like  a  tiger:  Christian  Rome  did  the  same.     The 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  433 

reformed  liavc  ever  been  far,  very  very  far  behind  these, 
but  when  we  look  at  the  conduct  of  the  Enghsh  church 
and  state  against  the  nonconformists,  and  of  the  noncon- 
formists against  all  who  differed  from  them,  we  are  con- 
strained to  confess  that  the  heart  of  man  is  desperately 
wicked.  The  puritans  were  the  fathers  of  political 
liberty  in  these  latter  days.  What  lover  of  freedom  but 
must  hail  them  as  such.  And  who  that  rejoices  in  Ame- 
rican privileges  but  must  look  to  them,  as,  under  God,  in 
great  measure,  the  source.  We  are  not,  however,  to 
palliate  their  faults,  nor  to  say  that  the  spirit  with  which 
they  treated  those  who  differed  from  them  on  the  subject 
of  religion  was  the  spirit  of  the  gospel. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Contests. — Toleration. — Quakers, 

"  The  great  officers  of  the  army,  of  which  Cromwell 
was  at  the  head,  though  Fairfax  was  the  general,  being 
of  the  party  of  independents,  disliking  the  presbyterian 
government  as  more  tyrannical  than  the  episcopal,  and 
having  but  few  preachers  amongst  them,  undertook  now 
tjiemselves  to  preach,  and  pray  publicly  to  the  troops; 
and  even  the  common  soldiers,  as  well  as  the  officers, 
not  only  prayed,  and  preached  publicly  among  themselves, 
but  also  went  up  into  the  pulpits,  in  all  the  churches 
where  they  were  quartered,  and  harangued  to  the  people 
with  great  fervour.  The  army  consented  that  presbytery 
should  be  the  national  religion;  but  insisted  on  a  tolera- 
tion of  all  Christians  in  the  enjoyment  of  their  religious 

Vol.  it.  ^  T 


4S4  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C7iflp.4 

rights.  But  the  presbyterians  proceeded  with  equal  bit- 
terness against  the  several  sects,  as  they  had  done,  and 
continued  to  do,  against  the  church  of  England;  little 
doubting  but  they  should  be  able,  by  the  power  and  au- 
thority they  had  in  the  two  houses,  to  get  the  better  of 
the  army,  and  new  model  it  again.  They  had  even  de- 
termined to  seize  the  person  of  Cromwell,  whose  dis- 
simulation was  now  discovered;  but,  having  notice  of 
their  design  the  night  before,  he  made  his  escape.  At 
the  same  time,  the  army  took  the  king  by  violence  out  of 
the  custody  of  the  parliament;  and  began  to  be  more 
brisk  and  contumacious  with  the  two  houses  than  they 
had  been  before." 

But  parliament  taking  courage,  passed  an  ordinance 
against  heretics,  which  bespeaks  the  character  of  its  au- 
thors. It  ordains,  that  all  persons  who  shall  maintain, 
defend,  or  publish,  by  preaching,  or  writing,  the  heresies 
which  are  after  mentioned,  with  obstinacy,  shall  be  com- 
mitted to  prison  without  bail  till  the  next  jail  delivery, 
and  if  the  indictment  shall  then  be  found,  and  the  party 
not  abjure,  he  shall  suffer  the  pains  of  deatli  as  in  the 
case  of  felony. 

The  assembly  of  divines  continued  its  sessions  at 
Westminster. 

After  the  death  of  Charles,  the  small  remains  of  a 
house  of  commons,  about  eighty  members,  all  indepen- 
dents, framed  a  new  test,  called  "  the  engagement,"  the 
character  of  which  was  such  that  many  presbyteriau 
clergymen  surrendered  their  pulpits.  But  sufficient  has 
been  stated  to  show  the  state  of  the  times,  and  we  may 
well  pause  to  meditate  on  the  corruption  of  human  na- 
ture. 

There  were  those  who  then  professed,  that  all  sorts  of 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  435. 

iniquity  were  ^'  in  tiieir  own  nature  as  holy  and  righte- 
ous as  the  duties  of  prayer,  preaching,  or  giving  thanks 
to  God;  that  liappiness  consisted  in  the  commission  of 
such  crimes;  and  that  there  was  really  no- such  thing  as 
heaven  or  hell,  nor  any  unrighteousness  or  sin  indepen- 
dent of  conscience  and  opinion/'  Miserable  and  dis- 
tracted indeed  was  the  state  of  religion  at  this  time  in 
England;  "  when  the  church  was  defaced  and  overspread 
with  errors  and  blasphemies,  defiled  with  abominations, 
rent  in  pieces  with  divisions,  and  so  swallowed  up  in 
confusion  and  disorder.^^ 

About  this  time  we  are  to  date  the  rise  of  the  people 
called  quakers,  from  an  obscure  individual,  "  bred  a  shoe- 
maker, who  pretended  that  all  the  qualifications  neces- 
sary for  ministers  were  the  anointing  of  the  spirit:  "  that 
the  people  should  receive  the  inward  divine  teachings  of 
the  Lord,  and  take  that  for  their  rule.^'  He  apprehend- 
ed the  Lord  had  forbad  him  to  put  off  his  hat  to  any 
one,  and  that  he  was  to  speak  to  the  people  without  dis- 
tinction, in  the  language  of  thee,  and  thou.  In  these 
particularities  many  of  the  enthusiasts  of  this  time  con- 
curred; and  Fox  had  soon  a  great  jaumber  of  followers. 
Whenever  he  spoke  in  public,  it  was  with  convulsive 
agitations  and  shakings  of  the  body,  asserting  it  to  be  the 
character  of  a  good  man  to  tremble  before  God:  and  from 
hence  the  name  of  quakers  was  given  to  these  sectaries. 
Their  public  meetings  were  occasional,  at  which  one  or 
another  spoke,  as  they  were  moved  from  within:  and 
sometimes  they  departed  without  any  one's  being  moved 
to  speak  at  all.  They  denied  the  holy  scriptures  to  be 
the  only  rule  of  faith;  and  maintained  that  every  man 
had  a  light  within  himself  which  was  a  very  sufficient 
rule.    They  were  great  disturbers  of  the  public  religion 


43t)  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.5^ 

at  that  time:  but  of  late  years  they  are  become  inoffen- 
sive people;"  and,  it  may  now  be  added, '  they  are  honour- 
ably distinguished  by  their  abstinence  from  external  im- 
moralities; by  the  peaceful  and  useful  tenor  of  their  lives; 
by  the  subjugation  of  their  tempers;  by  their  industry, 
frugality,  love  of  order,  and  benevolence;  and  by  the 
manly  and  consistent  testimony  they  have  uniformly 
borne  against  certain  prevalent  and  crying  evils.'  It  is  mat- 
ter of  deep  regret  how^ever  that  they  lay  aside  the  sacra- 
ments commanded  by  the  Redeemer.  Sacraments  were 
appointed  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  and  certainly  we  are  not 
now  under  a  more  spiritual  dispensation  than  that  which 
separated  to  a  religious  purpose  the  tree  of  life  and  the 
tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.* — Who  but  must 
lament  the  facility  with  which  an  individual  of  talents 
and  perseverance  may  in  the  lapse  of  time  create  a  new 
division  of  the  body  of  believers! 

Cromwell  having  taken  the  power  into  his  hands,  de- 
clared a  toleration  for  every  thing  but  popery,  prelacy, 
and  immorality.  Far  greater  liberty  of  conscience  was 
permitted  by  him  than  by  the  parliament. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Charles  II. — King^s  Declaration. — Act  of  Uniformity. — Test  Ad. 

On  the  coming  of  the  second  Charles  to  the  throne, 
attempts  were  made  to  unite  the  churchmen  and  the 
presbyterians.    It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  minds  of  nei- 

*  Let  any  person  who  desires  to  read  a  dispassionate  and  perfectly  satisfac- 
tory view  of  the  principles  of  Friends  read  the  Christian  Observer,  for  Decem. 
bcr,  1824.. 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST4  437 

ther  party  were  then  in  a  temper  for  charity  and  conde- 
scension. A  declaration  was  issued  by  the  king,  with  a 
view  of  uniting  all  parties.  He  promised  that  he  would 
encourage  the  public  exercises  and  observation  of  the 
Sabbath,  and  that  insufficient  and  scandalous  clergymen 
should  not  be  admitted  into  the  church;  that  he  would 
prefer  none  but  men  of  learning  and  virtue  to  the  pre- 
lacy, who  should  be  frequent  preachers:  that  in  exten- 
sive dioceses,  he  would  appoint  a  sufficient  number  ol* 
suffragans:  that  no  bishop  should  confer  ordination,  or 
exercise  any  episcopal  jurisdiction,  without  the  advice 
and  assistance  of  presbyters  chosen  by  the  diocese:  that 
the  preferments  of  deans  and  chapters  should  be  given 
to  the  most  learned  and  pious  presbyters  of  the  diocese: 
that  confirmation  shall  be  rightly  and  solemnly  perform- 
ed, by  the  information,  and  with  the  consent  of  the 
minister  of  the  place,  who  shall  admit  none  to  the  sacra- 
ment till  they  have  made  a  credible  profession  of  their 
faith:  that  all  diligence  shall  be  used  for  the  instruction 
and  reformation  of  scandalous  offenders,  who  shall  not 
partake  of  the  Lord's  supper  till  they  have  testified  their 
repentance,  provided  there  be  place  for  appeals  to  su- 
perior power:  that  every  rural  dean,  assisted  by  three  01 
four  of  the  clergy  to  be  elected  by  a  majority  of  the 
deanry,  shall  meet  once  a  month  to  receive  complaints 
from  the  ministers  and  church  wardens  of  parishes,  and 
to  compose  such  differences  as  shall  be  referred  to  them 
by  arbitration,  reforming  such  things  as  are  aoiiss,  by 
their  admonition,  or  presenting  them  to  the  bishop:  that 
no  bishop  shall  exercise  any  arbitrary  power,  or  impose 
any  thing  on  his  clergy  and  people,  but  according  to  the 
law  of  the  land:  that  the  liturgy  shall  be  reviewed  with 
an  equal  number  of  divines  of  both  persaasions,  and  such 


438  » HISTORY  OF  THE  lamp.  5. 

alterations  made  in  it  as  are  thought  necessary,  and  in 
the  mean  time  none  to  be  troubled  or  punished  for  not 
using  it:  that  none  shall  be  compelled  to  receive  the  sa- 
crament kneeling,  nor  to  use  the  cross  in  baptism,  nor  to 
bow  at  the  name  of  Jesus,  nor  to  use  the  surplice,  ex- 
cept in  the  royal  chapel,  and  in  cathedral  and  collegiate 
churches:  that  subscription  and  the  oath  of  canonical 
obedience  should  not  be  required  at  present,  for  ordina- 
tion or  institution,  only  the  oaths  of  allegiance  and  su- 
premacy: that  none  should  be  deprived  of  their  prefer- 
ments for  not  declaring  their  assent  to  the  thirty-nine 
articles,  provided  they  read  and  declare  their  assent  to 
all  the  doctrinal  articles,  and  to  the  sacraments. 

"  This  was  the  declaration  which  his  majesty  published, 
and  to  which  "  he  conjured  all  his  loving  subjects  to  sub- 
mit and  acquiesce,  concerning  the  differences  which 
have  so  much  disquieted  the  nation  at  home,  and  given 
offence  to  the  protestant  churches  abroad/^  Though 
the  high  presbyterians,  whom  nothing  would  satisfy  but 
the  covenant,  were  displeased  with  this  declaration,  yet 
all  the  others  were  content:  and  had  the  bishops  been 
possessed  of  that  spirit  of  wisdom  and  charity  which  this 
declaration  breathed,  it  would  in  a  great  measure  have 
prevented  the  separation  which  followed,  to  the  disturb- 
ance of  the  church,  and  the  dishonour  of  true  religion. 
I  lay  this  at  the  door  of  the  leading  bishops,  because  my 
lord  Clarendon,  as  well  as  the  king,  was  at  that  time 
thoroughly  on  the  side  of  the  declaration.'^ 

A  report  being  made  of  a  conspiracy  against  the  state, 
a  bill  was  enacted,  ordaining  that  no  person  should  be 
elected  magistrate  in  any  corporation,  who  did  not  take 
an  oath,  declaring  it  unlawful  to  take  arms  against  the 
king,  and  also  receive  the  sacrament  according  to  the 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  139 

rites  of  the  church  of  England.     Thus  was  the  Lord's 
Slipper  made  "  a  picklock  to  a  place."' 

The  liturgy  underwent  a  review,  and  the  oflice  for 
adult  baptism  was  added,  with  the  prayer  for  all  condi- 
tions, and  the  general  thanksgiving.  Under  a  pretence 
of  conspiracies  and  plots  against  the  government,  the  act 
of  uniformity  took  its  rise,  by  which  the  forms  of  admis- 
sion into  the  church  of  England,  were  nmcli  stricter 
than  they  were  before  the  civil  war.  The  truth  is,  that 
the  papists,  and  those  who  disguised  their  principles  of 
that  sort,  as  the  king  himself  did,  animated  the  chief  men 
of  the  church  to  carry  the  points  of  conformity  as  high 
as  possible,  that  there  might  be  a  great  number  to  stand 
out,  and  to  make  a  toleration  necessary,  under  which 
popery  might  be  favoured.  The  act  passed  the  house  of 
commons  by  a  majority  only  of  six,  and  not  without 
many  long  and  warm  debates.  It  received  the  royal  as- 
sent on  the  nineteenth  of  May,  1662,  and  was  to  take 
place  on  the  24th  of  August  following,  without  making 
any  provision  for  the  maintenance  of  those  who  were  to 
be  deprived;  which  was  a  severity  not  to  be  justified. 
The  account  is  much  exaggerated  when  it  is  said,  that 
there  were  two  thousand  ministers  ejected  out  of  the 
church  by  virtue  of  this  act:  their  hard  usage  however 
cannot  be  remembered  without  regret;  those  who  quit 
theii'  interests  are  certainly  in  good  earnest,  and  deserve 
a  charitable  construction.  "  Here  were  many  men," 
says  bishop  Burnet,  "much  valued,  some  on  better 
grounds,  and  others  on  worse,  who  were  now  cast  out 
ignomiuiously,  reduced  to  great  poverty,  provoked  by 
much  spiteful  usage,  and  call  upon  those  popular  prac- 
tices that  botli  their  principles  and  circumstances  seemed 
to  justify,  of  forming  separate  congregations,  aod  of  di- 


440  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  5. 

verting  men  from  the  public  worship,  and  from  consider- 
ing their  successors  as  the  lawful  pastors  of  those  churches 
in  which  they  had  served." 

The  cry  of  conspiracy  against  the  government  was 
still  continued,  and  in  1664  it  was  enacted,  that  if  any 
one  above  sixteen  years  of  age  was  present  at  any  meet- 
ing under  a  pretence  of  exercise  of  religion,  in  any  other 
manner  than  was  allowed  by  the  liturgy  of  the  church  of 
England,  where  there  were  five  more  than  the  family, 
for  the  first  offence  should  suffer  three  months  imprison- 
ment or  pay  a  fine  of  five  pounds,  for  the  second  offence 
six  months  or  ten  pounds,  and  for  the  third  should  be 
banished  to  the  plantations  in  America. 

There  were  attempts  made  to  pass  what  was  called  an 
act  of  comprehension,  embracing  many  of  the  noncon- 
formists, satisfying  their  scruples,  and  bringing  them  into 
the  church.  But  these  did  not  succeed.  The  great  ob- 
ject of  the  court  was  to  favour  popery,  and  some  men 
high  in  the  church  wanted  charity.  There  was  an  act 
passed,  chiefly  against  the  rapidly  increasing  papists,  by 
which  all  holding  offices  of  honour  or  profit  under 
government,  were  obliged  to  take  the  sacrament  accord- 
ing to  the  forms  of  the  church  of  England,  and  to  de- 
clare against  transubstantiation.  This  was  called  the 
test  act. 

Though  the  protestant  religion  stood  in  need  of  the 
united  strength  of  all  its  professors  against  popery,  and 
of  all  the  securities  of  a  civil  nature  that  could  be  given 
for  the  preservation  of  church  and  state,  yet  I  presume 
to  say,  that  it  is  not  only  a  great  prostitution  of  the  sa- 
crament, to  make  it  a  qualification  for  civil  offices  and 
employments,  but  an  infatuation  to  suppose  that  it  can 
be  any  security  for  our  religion.* 

•  Warner,  Rector  of  Queenliithe,  London,  vol.  ii.  p,  621. 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  441 

In  1680  parliament  passed  an  act  repealing  some  of 
the  severities  against  the  protestant  dissenters;  but  the 
king  eluded  the  signing  of  it. 

The  happy  escape  from  popery  under  James  II.  is 
well  known,  as  well  as  the  preservation  of  protestantism 
in  England  by  means  of  the  revolution.  Attempts  were 
made  to  bring  the  dissenters  into  the  church  again,  im- 
mediately after  William  and  Mary  were  seated  on  the 
throne;  and  TUlotson,  Burnet,  and  others,  laboured 
much  in  it;  but  they  were  defeated  by  the  Jacobites, 
who  raised  a  cry  that  the  church  was  about  to  be  de- 
stroyed. These  friends  of  James  and  the  pretender 
continued  in  successive  reigns  te  oppose  the  true  princi- 
ples of  the  church,  and  by  their  extravagant  notions 
sought  to  destroy  every  hope  of  union.  In  spirit  they 
were  papists,  but  by  pretending  an  attachment  to  the 
church  they  were  enabled  to  do  more  injury  than  the 
papists  themselves. 

The  inclination  of  the  Jacobites  to  a  nearer  approach 
to  the  church  of  Rome,  was  more  manifest  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  ISth  century.  AVe  are  told  by  bishop  Bur- 
net, that  "  one  Dodwell  gave  rise  to  the  conceit  of  the 
invalidity  of  lay  baptism."  "  He/'  continues  Burnet, 
"seemed  to  hunt  after  paradoxes  in  all  his  writings.  He 
thought  none  could  be  saved  but  those  who  by  the  sacra- 
ments had  a  federal  right  to  it,  and  that  these  were  the 
seals  of  the  covenant;  so  that  he  left  all  who  died  with- 
out the  sacrament  to  the  uncovenanted  mercies  of  God. 
And  to  this  he  added,  that  none  had  a  right  to  give  the 
sacraments  but  those  who  were"  cpiscopally  ordained. 
"  The  bishops  thought  it  necessary  to  put  a  stop  to  this 
new  and  extravagant  doctrine:  so  a  declaration  was 
agreed  to,  first,  against  the  hregidarilij  of  all  baptism  by 

VoT;.  IP.  .1  K 


442  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  6. 

persons  who  were  not  in  holy  orders;  but  that  yet,  ac- 
cording to  the  practice  of  the  primitive  church,  and  the 
constant  usage  of  the  church  of  England,  no  baptism,  in 
or  with  water,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  ought  to  be  reiterated."  The  house  of  bishops, 
with  only  one  dissenting  voicCj  passed  this  declaration.* 


CHAPTER  Vf. 

.ifininiaiiism. 

The  views  of  doctrine  held  by  James  Arminius,  pro- 
fessor of  divinity  at  Leyden,  in  the  commencement  of 
the  17lh  century,  excited  great  attention.  The  follow- 
ers, of  Calvin  were  divided  into  two  classes.  The  greater 
part  were  of  opinion  that  God  only  permitted  the  first 
man  to  fall  into  transgression;  while  a  smaller  number 
maintained  that  from  all  eternity  God  decreed  the  fall  of 
Adam.  The  latter  were  called  supralapsarians,  the  for- 
mer sublapsarians.  In  opposition  to  these,  the  Arminians 
believed  •'  I.  That  God,  from  all  eternity,  determined  to 
bestow  salvation  on  those  whom  he  foresaw  would  per- 
severe unto  the  end  in  their  faith  in  Christ  Jesus:  and 
to  inflict  everlasting  punishments  on  those  who  should 
continue  in  their  unbelief,  and  resist  unto  the  end,  his 
divine  succours. 

"  H.  That  Jesus  Christ,  by  his  death  and  sufferings, 
made  an  atonement  for  the  sins  of  all  mankind  in  gene- 
ral and  of  every  individual  in  particular: — that,  however, 

•  Burnet's  History  of  his  Own  Times  (year  1712). 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRlS'l.  445 

none  but  those  who  believe  in  him  can  be  partakers  of 
their  divine  benefit. 

"  III.  That  true  faith  cannot  proceed  from  the  exer- 
cise of  our  natural  faculties  and  powers,  nor  from  the 
force  and  operation  of  free-will;  since  man,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  natural  corruption,  is  incapable  either  of 
thinking  or  doing  any  good  thing;  and  that  therefore 
it  is  necessary  to  his  conversion  and  salvation,  that  he 
be  regenerated  and  renewed  by  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  which  is  the  gift  of  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ. 

"  IV.  That  this  divine  grace,  or  energy  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  heals  the  disorder  of  a  corrupt  nature,  be- 
gins, advances,  and  brings  to  perfection  every  thing  that 
can  be  called  good  in  man;  and  that,  consequently,  all 
good  works,  without  exception,  are  to  be  attributed  to 
God  alone,  and  to  the  operation  of  his  grace;  that,  never- 
theless, this  grace  does  not  force  the  man  to  act  against 
his  inclination,  but  may  be  resisted  and  rendered  inef- 
fectual by  the  perverse  will  of  the  impenitent  sinner. 

"  V.  That  they  who  are  united  to  Christ  by  faith,  are 
thereby  furnished  with  abundant  strength,  and  with  suc- 
cours sufficient  to  enable  them  to  triumph  over  the  se- 
duction of  Satan,  and  the  allurements  of  sin  and  tempta- 
tion; but  that  the  question,  whether  such  may  fall  from 
their  faith,  and  forfeit  finally  this  state  of  grace?  has  not 
been  yet  resolved  with  sufficient  perspicuity;  and  must, 
therefore,  be  more  carefully  examined  by  an  attentive 
study  of  what  the  holy  scriptures  have  declared  in  rela- 
tion to  this  important  point." 

Calvinism  being  at  this  time  in  a  flourishing  state  in 
Holland,  the  sentiments  of  Arminius  had  many  enemies. 
The  leader  of  these  was  Francis  Gomar,  his  colleague. 


4.44  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICIuqu  7. 

A  long,  tedious,  and  unprofitable  controversy  was  carried 
on.  The  Arminians  asked  for  toleration.  The  Calvin- 
ists  contended  that  the  ruin  of  religion  was  threatened. 
At  length  a  synod  was  convoked  at  Dort,  in  the  year 
1618,  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  concerning  the  points 
in  dispute.  By  this  synod  the  Arminians  were  pro- 
nounced guilty  of  pestilential  errors,  and  were  condemn- 
ed as  corrupters  of  the  true  religion.  The  sentence  was 
followed  by  excommunication,  suppression  of  their  reli- 
gious assemblies,  and  deprivation  of  their  ministers. 
Fines,  imprisonment,  exile,  and  other  marks  of  ignominy 
succeeded.  Some  of  the  persecuted  exiles  retired  to 
Antwerp;  others  fled  into  France. 


CHAPTER  Vli. 

The  Tender  Mercies  oj  Rome. 

We  read  of  persecutions  carried  on  by  one  division  of 
protestants  against  another,  and  as  we  read  we  feel  how 
weak  is  human  nature,  how  prone  to  err!  We  read  of 
persecutions  carried  on  by  the  papacy  against  protestants, 
and  we  exclaim,  surely  men  have  been  transformed  to 
fiends!  In  comparison,  the  persecutions  of  protestants 
are  but  as  friendly  chastisements:  the  persecutions  of 
papists  are  like  the  ragings  of  the  bloodhound.  The 
truth  of  this  was  experienced  in  France.  Henry  IV. 
had  by  the  edict  of  Nantz  granted  certain  privileges  to 
the  reformed,  in  the  possession  of  which  they  reposed  in 
peace,  enjoying  the  benefits  of  the  gospel,  and  contri- 
buting most  essentially  to  the  wealth  of  the  state.    It 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  445 

was,  2tt  last,  however,  resolved  to  ruin  at  one  blow  the 
cause  of  the  reformation  in  France.  In  order  to  this  the 
edict  which  granted  them  toleration  was  revoked.  An 
order  was  issued  to  all  the  reformed  churches  to  cntbrace 
the  Romish  laith.  This  order  was  followed  by  fire  and 
sword.  Multitudes  emigrated,  but  their  euiigration  was 
opposed.  The  brutal  rage  of  an  unrelenting  soldiery 
was  let  loose  upon  them,  and  they  were  assailed  by  every 
barbarous  form  of  persecution. 

"  The  ministers  and  members  of  the  reformed  church 
were  thickly  clustered  throughout  the  territories  of 
France,- forming  one  twelfth  part  of  the  population:  they 
were  natives  of  the  country;  were  peaceful  and  loyal; 
not  addicted  to  sedition  or  turbulence;  they  were  a  source 
of  immense  wealth  to  the  nation:  they  did  not  aspire  to 
those  dignities  from  which  their  government  had  seen  fit 
to  exclude  them,  but  were  content  and  happy  with  their 
lot.  Whatever  advantages  they  possessed  were  rather 
de  jure,  ibdiYi  ex  gratia,  for  the  immunities  granted  by 
Henry  IV.  were  but  the  price  at  which  he  purchased 
their  assistance  in  his  plans  of  foreign  enterprise;  and 
yet,  in  the  midst  of  their  quiet  and  unobtrusive  posses- 
sion of  their  comforts,  and  in  the  very  face  of  all  these 
considerations,  a  cold  and  bloody  decree  is  framed,  by 
which  they  are  despoiled  of  all  that  was  valued  by  thenr 
and  hunted  like  noxious  beasts  from  the  earth.  Louis 
had  not  even 


"  Necessity, 


The  tyrant's  plea,  to  excuse  his  devilish  deeds."' 

Many  were  burnt  alive.  To  the  survivors,  some 
unfrequented  grot,  or  the  depth  of  some  forest,  was  as  a 
palace.  The  persecution  proceeded  with  great  rapidity; 
the  soldiers  hurrying  from  village  to  village,  destroying 


446  HISTORY  OF  THE  iChup.  8 

the  habitations,  and  squandering  the  property  of  such  as 
would  not  be  converted,  and  compelhng  the  protestants 
to  become  fugitives  over  the  whole  country,  "  lleeing  as 
birds  to  the  mountains." 


CHAPTER  yilL 

Moravians, 

The  ancestors  of  the  Moravian  brethren  had  been  a 
church  of  martyrs  for  many  ages  before  the  reformation. 
Originally  descended  from  the  Sclavonian  branch  of  the 
Greek  church,  they  never  implicitly  submitted  to  the  au- 
thority of  the  pope,  though  their  princes,  from  the  year 
967,  adhered  to  the  Roman  communion;  but  they  reso- 
hitely  retained  the  Bible  in  their  hands,  and  performed 
their  church  service  according  to  the  ritual  of  their  fa- 
thers, and  in  their  mother  tongue.  For  these  heresies, 
as  they  were  deemed,  they  were  persecuted  without 
mercy,  and  almost  without  intermission;  many  were  pu- 
nished with  death,  more  with  the  spoiling  of  their  goods, 
and  multitudes  with  imprisonment  and  exile.  In  their 
sufferings  were  literally  exemplified  the  declarations  of 
the  apostles  concerning  the  ancient  worthies:  "  They 
had  trials  of  cruel  mockings  and  scourgings,  yea,  more- 
over, of  bonds  and  imprisonment;  they  were  stoned,  were 
tempted,  were  slain  with  the  sword;  being  destitute,  af- 
flicted, tormented,  (of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,) 
they  wandered  in  deserts,  and  in  mountains,  and  in  dens 
and  caves  of  the  earth.^' 

Among  these  confessors  and  martyrs  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  appeared  John  Huss,  who  was  condemned  to 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  11.7 

the  flames  as  a  heretic.  During  the  war  that  ensued 
after  his  death,  the  church  of  the  united  hrethren,  under 
its  present  name,  was  formed  by  those  who  chose  rather 
to  suffer  as  witnesses  of  the  truth,  than  defend  the  truth 
by  the  temporal  weapons  of  warfare.  A  sanguinary  de- 
cree was  issued  against  them,  at  the  diet  in  14G8,  and 
was  commanded  to  be  read  from  all  the  pulpits  in  the 
land.  The  prisons  in  Bohemia  were  crowded  with  the 
members  of  their  church,  and  their  first  bishop,  Michael, 
remained  in  close  confinement  until  the  death  of  the  king 
Podiebrad.  Many  perished,  in  deep  dungeons,  with 
hunger;  others  were  inhumanly  tortured.  The  remain^ 
der  fled  to  the  thickest  forests,  where,  fearing  to  be  be- 
trayed in  the  day  time,  they  kindled  their  fires  only  at 
night,  round  which  they  spent  their  hours  in  reading  the 
scriptures  and  in  prayer.  When  they  afterwards  obtain- 
ed some  respite  from  persecution,  they  were  the  first 
people  who  employed  the  newly  invented  art  of  printing 
for  the  publication  of  the  scriptures  in  a  living  tongue, 
and  three  editions  of  the  Bohemian  Bible  ivere  issued  by 
them  before  the  reformation. — When  Luther,  Melancthou, 
Bucer,  and  Calvin,  at  length  arose  to  testify  more  suc- 
cessfully than  they  had  been  able  to  do  against  the  errors 
and  usurpations  of  the  church  of  Rome,  to  each  of  these 
illustrious  men  the  Moravians  submitted  their  doctrinal 
tenets,  their  church  discipline,  and  the  records  o^  their 
affairs;  and  from  each  in  return  they  received  assurances 
of  cordial  approbation,  and  the  kindest  encouragement. 

But  as  the  reformation  did  not  penetrate  into  the  re- 
cesses of  Bohemia  and  Moravia,  they  had  to  suffer  re- 
newed and  aggravated  persecution;  till,  towards  the  close 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  they  were  so  hunted  .down, 
and  scattered  abroad,  that  they  ceased  to  be  known  pub- 


448  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChup.  8. 

licly  as  an  existing  church.  Their  devotions,  at  liie  peril 
of  life  and  liberty,  were  performed  by  stealth  in  private 
dwellings,  in  deep  forests,  and  in  lonely  caverns,  a  few- 
only  daring  to  assemble  in  one  place  and  at  one  time. 
Previous  to  this  dispersion,  their  bishop,  Amos  Comeneus. 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  of  that  age,  pub- 
lished their  history,  with  a  dedication  (which  he  calls  his 
last  will  and  testament)  to  the  church  of  England,  be- 
queathing to  it  the  memorials  of  his  people  in  the  follow- 
ing affecting  terms: — "  If,  by  the  grace  of  God,  there 
hath  been  found  in  us  (as  wise  and  godly  men  have  some- 
times thought,)  any  thing  true,  any  thing  honest,  any 
thing  just,  any  thing  pure,  any  thing  lovely  and  of  good 
report;  if  any  virtue  and  any  praise,  care  must  be  taken 
that  it  may  not  die  with  us  when  we  die;  and  at  least 
that  the  very  foundation  be  not  buried  under  its  present 
ruins,  so  that  generations  to  come  may  not  know  where 
to  look  for  them.  And,  indeed,  this  care  is  taken,  and 
provision  is  made  on  this  behalf,  by  this  our  trust,  com- 
mitted to  your  hands."  Sixty  years  after  this  period,  the 
church  of  the  brethren  was  raised  from  its  depression  by 
a  persecution  intended  to  crush  its  last  remnant  in  Mo- 
ravia. Some  families,  flying  from  thence,  found  a  re- 
fuge on  the  estates  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  in  Lusatia, 
where  they  built  a  humble  village  (Herrnhut.)  which  is  * 
now  the  principal  settlement  of  the  brethren.  As  their 
countrymen,  together  with  some  pious  people  from  other 
quarters,  joined  them,  their  congregations  gradually  mul- 
tiplied through  Germany,  and  a  few  were  established  in 
Denmark,  Sweden,  Russia,  Holland,  and  North  America. 
The  brethren  first  appeared  in  England  about  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  where,  (though  the  most  malignant 
calumnies  were  circulated  against  them)  in  the  simplicity 


Cent,  ir.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  449 

of  conscious  innocence  they  laid  their  case  before  parlia- 
ment. Their  doctrines,  discipline,  character,  and  his- 
tory, were  scrupulously  examined,  in  committees  of  both 
houses,  and  a  bill,  exempting  them  from  taking  oaths  and 
bearing  arms,  was  carried  with  the  unanimous  consent 
of  the  bishops:  indeed,  all  opposition  to  it  was  abandon- 
ed after  the  final  investigation  of  their  claims:  and  they 
were  fully  acknowledged  by  the  British  legislature,  to  be 
"  an  ancient  protestant  and  episcoiml  church." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Societies  in  England. — Jlnfichrist. 

Men  are  social,  and  if  they  do  not  associate  for  good, 
Ihey  inevitably  will  for  evil.  This  has  been  proved  in 
all  ages.  We  cannot  therefore  but  read  with  great  inte- 
rest the  account  given  by  bishop  Burnet  of  sundry  socie- 
ties which  existed  in  England  at  the  close  of  this 
century.  I  shall  give  an  account,  says  he,  of  more  pro- 
mising beginnings  and  appearances,  which  though  they 
are  of  an  elder  date,  yet  of  late  (1705)  they  have  been 
brought  into  a  more  regulated  form.  In  king  James's 
reign,  the  fear  of  popery  was  so  strong,  as  well  as  just, 
^lat  many,  in  and  about  London,  began  to  meet  often 
together,  both  for  devotion,  and  for  their  further  instruc- 
tion: things  of  that  kind  had  been  formerly  practised, 
only  among  the  puritans  and  the  dissenters.  But  these 
were  of  the  church,  and  came  to  their  ministers,  to  be 
assisted  with  forms  of  prayer  and  other  directions:  they 
were  chiefly  conducted  by  Dr.  Beveridge  and  Dr.  Hor- 

VOL.  II.  s  L 


450  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.9. 

neck.  Some  disliked  this,  and  were  afraid  it  might  be 
the  original  of  new  factions  and  parties;  but  wiser  and 
better  men  thought,  it  was  not  fit  nor  decent  to  check  a 
spirit  of  devotion,  at  such  a  time:  it  might  have  given 
scandal,  and  it  seemed  a  discouraging  of  piety,  and  might 
be  a  mean  to  drive  well  meaning  persons  over  to  the  dis- 
senters. After  the  revolution,  these  societies  grew  more 
numerous,  and  for  a  greater  encouragement  to  devotion, 
they  got  such  collections  to  be  made,  as  maintained  many 
clergymen  to  read  prayers  in  so  many  places,  and  at  so 
many  different  hours,  that  devout  persons  might  have 
that  comfort,  at  every  hour  of  the  day.  There  were 
constant  sacraments  every  Lord's  day  in  many  churches: 
there  were  both  greater  numbers  and  greater  appear- 
ances of  devotion  at  prayers  and  sacraments,  than  had 
been  observed  in  the  memory  of  man.  These  societies 
resolved,  to  inform  the  magistrates  of  swearers,  drunk- 
ards, profaners  of  the  Lord's  day,  and  of  lewd  houses; 
and  they  threw  in  the  part  of  the  fine,  given  by  law  to 
informers,  into  a  stock  of  charity:  from  this,  they  were 
called  societies  of  reformation.  Some  good  magistrates 
encouraged  them;  but  others  treated  them  roughly.  As 
soon  as  the  late  queen  heard  of  this,  she  did,  by  her  let- 
ters and  proclamations,  encourage  these  good  designs, 
which  were  afterwards  prosecuted  by  the  late  'king. 
Other  societies  set  themselves  to  raise  charity  schools^ 
for  teaching  poor  children,  for  clothing  them  and  bind- 
ing them  out  to  trades;  many  books  were  printed,  and 
sent  over  the  nation  by  them,  to  be  freely  distributed: 
these  were  called  societies  for  propagating  Christian 
knowledge:  by  this  means,  some  thousands  of  children 
are  now  well  educated  and  carefully  looked  after.  In 
many  places  of  the  nation,  the  clergy  met  often  together, 


Cent.  17.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  45) 

to  confer  about  matters  of  religion  and  learning;  and 
they  got  libraries  to  be  raised  for  their  common  use.  At 
last  a  corporation  was  created  by  the  late  king,  for  pro- 
pagating tlie  gospel  among  infidels,  for  settling  schools  in 
oiir  plantations,  for  furnishing  the  clergy  that  were  sent 
thither,  and  for  sending  missionaries  among  such  of  our 
plantations,  as  were  not  able  to  provide  pastors  for  them- 
selves. It  was  a  glorious  conclusion  of  a  reign,  that  was 
begun  with  preserving  our  religion,  thus  to  create  a  cor- 
poration, for  propagating  it  to  the  remoter  parts  of  the 
earth,  and  among  infidels:  there  were  very  liberal  sub- 
scriptions made  to  it,  by  many  of  the  bishops  and  clergy, 
who  set  about  it  with  great  care  and  zeal.  Upon  the 
queen's  accession  to  the  crown,  they  had  all  possible  as- 
surances of  her  favour  and  protection,  of  which,  upon 
every  application,  they  received  very  eminent  marks. 

Fruits  of  the  labours  of  the  society  for  the  propagation 
of  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts,  are  manifest  in  the  United 
States  to  the  present  day.  The  missionaries  of  that  so- 
ciety are  recollected  with  gratitude  by  some  of  the  oldest 
now  living.  They  bore  the  standard  of  the  cross  into 
regions  of  our  country,  which,  but  for  them,  would  have 
remained  Ions;  desolate. 

How  different  these  societies  in  England,  from  some 
of  those  established  by  Rome.  In  1622,  the  congrega- 
tion de  propaganda  fide,  was  founded  by  Gregory  XV. 
If  by  this  the  faith  of  Christ  had  been  propagated,  every 
one  would  be  bound  to  contemplate  it  with  joy;  but 
when,  instead  of  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  dogmas  of  Rome, 
born  in  the  brains  of  popes  and  cardinals,  and  existing 
only  in  the  absence  of  the  scriptures — when  these  were 
the  chief  things  circulated,  and  the  inculcation  of  these 


453  HISTORY  OF  THE  lChap.9. 

was  the  paramount  aim,  who  but  must  weep  at  such  per- 
version. 

The  followitig  are  among  the  ascertained  principles  of 
the  chief  and  most  active  Roman  missionary  society. 

"  That  those  persons  may  transgress  with  safely  who 
have  a  probable  reason  for  transgressing,  i.  e.  any  plausi- 
ble argument  or  authority  in  favour  of  the  sin  they  are 
inclined  to  commit. 

"  That  actions  intrinsically  evil,  and  directly  contrary 
to  the  divine  laws,  may  be  innocently  performed  by  those 
who  have  so  much  power  over  their  own  minds  as  to 
join,  even  ideally,  a  good  end  to  this  wicked  action,  or 
(to  speak  in  the  style  of  the  Jesuits)  who  are  capable  of 
directing  their  attention  aright: 

"  That  philosophical  sin  is  of  a  very  light  and  trivial 
nature,  and  does  not  deserve  the  pains  of  hell.'^  By  a 
philosophical  sin  is  meant  an  action  contrary  to  the  dic- 
tates of  nature  and  right  reason,  committed  by  a  person 
ignorant  of  the  written  law  of  God,  or  doubtful  of  its 
true  meaning. 

"  That  the  transgressions  committed  by  a  person 
blinded  by  the  seduction  of  lust,  agitated  by  the  impulse 
of  tumultuous  passions,  and  destitute  of  all  sense  or  im- 
pression of  religion,  however  detestable  and  heinous  they 
may  be  in  themselves,  are  not  imputable  to  the  trans- 
gressor before  the  tribunal  of  God;  and  that  such  trans- 
gressions may  often  be  as  involuntary  as  the  actions  of  a 
madman: 

"  That  the  person  who  takes  an  oath,  or  enters  into  a 
contract,  may,  to  elude  the  force  of  the  one  and  the  obli- 
gation of  the  other,  add  to  the  form  of  words  that  ex- 
press them,  certain  mental  additions  and  tacit  reser- 
vations."' 


Cent.  17.']  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  458 

The  conduct  of  the  Romish  missionaries  bespoke  their 
character.  They  engrafted  Cliristianity  upon  pagan 
rites;  aimed  at  convincing  the  heathen  there  was  little 
difference  between  their  idolatry  and  the  gospel;  pam- 
pered the  passions  of  those  wiio  had  inllnence;  and  aimed 
evidently  at  acquiring  wealth  and  power.  The  political 
machine  they  endeavoured  to  get  wholly  into  their  hands. 
The  power  of  the  civil  magistracy  was  roused  to  self- 
defence  against  them,  and  kings  and  governors  banished 
them  because  of  ambitious  intermeddling  in  state  affairs. 
Their  conduct  savoured  by  no  means  of  the  spirit  of  Him 
whose  kingdom  was  not  of  this  world. 


CHAPTER  X. 

American  Colonies. 

The  revolutions  and  intolerance  of  Europe  drove 
many  from  the  land  of  their  birth  to  this  new  continent. 
Here  they  sought  an  asylum,  and,  scattered  in  colonies 
from  north  to  south,  they  laid  the  foundations  of  a  mighty 
empire.  The  independents  established  themselves  in 
New  England.  Their  first  landing  was  at  Plymouth,  in 
Massachusetts,  on  the  22d  December,  1620. 

In  1629,  June  29,  a  body  of  emigrants  arrived  at  Salem. 
These  were  speedily  followed  by  others  But  though 
their  sufferings  for  conscience  sake  had  been  so  conside- 
rable, they  were  unwilling  to  tolerate  any  opinions  but 
their  own.  Two  men  of  note  among  the  settlers  at 
Salem  being  found  guilty  of  attachment  to  a  liturgy,  were 
expelled  the  society  and  sent  to  England.     Williams,  a 


454  HIS  roilY  OF  THE  iCIiap.  10. 

minister  highly  esteemed,  was  banished  in  1634,  and  with 
his  followers  settled  at  Providence.  Another  body,  dis- 
gusted with  certain  proceedings  on  account  of  the  opi- 
nions of  a  Mrs.  Hutchinson,  retired  to  Rhode  Island. 
With  Mr.  Hooker,  an  eminent  minister  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay,  who  was  anxious  for  a  distinct  province,  an 
hundred  families  went  in  1636,  and  settled  Connecticut. 
These,  vviih  their  coadjutors  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
and  Vermont,  devoted  early  their  care  to  the  education 
of  the  young.  As  early  as  the  8th  of  September,  1630, 
a  sum  of  money  (^400)  was  voted  by  the  general  court 
at  Boston  toward  the  commencement  of  a  college.  This 
sum  being  increased  by  the  will  of  the  Rev,  John  Harvard, 
the  foundation  of  Harvard  university  was  laid.  A  simi- 
lar spirit  pervading  all  the  colonies,  in  process  of  time 
more  abundant  provision  for  instruction  was  made  in 
New  England  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

The  churches  planted  by  these  pilgrims  have  spread 
with  an  increasing  population  even  to  this  day.  They 
still  flourish.  But  there  have  been  among  them  great 
diversities  of  doctrine,  and  in,  alas!  how  many  instances, 
a  following  in  the  way  of  Cain,  by  a  denial  of  the  atone- 
ment— a  trampling  under  foot  the  Son  of  God. 

We  have  spoken  of  persecutions  among  the  puritans. 
This  was  extended  to  the  followers  of  George  Fox. 
They  were  banished,  scourged,  and  in  some  instances 
put  to  death.  This  was  the  consequence  of  the  spirit  of 
popery  yet  lingering  among  the  puritans.  Toleration 
was  not  understood. 

In  1607,  the  first  settlement  was  made  at  Jamestown 
in  Virginia.  The  church  of  England  was  established  in 
this  colony  by  law,  and  the  people  in  general  conformed 


Cent.  17.j  CHURCH  OF  CHRIS i-  l^i 

to  it.*  The  number  of  parisiies  in  the  colony  became 
nt  last  one  hundred. 

We  are  told  by  IJurnet,  that  in  1693,  IMr.  Blair,  a 
very  worthy  man,  came  over  from  Virginia,  with  a  pro- 
position for  erecting  a  college  there.  In  order  to  which, 
he  had  set  on  foot  a  voluntary  subscription,  which  arose 
to  a  great  sum:  and  he  found  out  some  branches  of  the 
revenue  there,  that  went  all  into  private  hands,  without 
being  brought  into  any  public  account,  with  which  a 
free- school  and  college  might  be  well  endowed.  The 
endowment  was  fixed,  and  the  patent  was  passed  for  the 
college,  called  from  the  founders,  the  William  and  Mary 
college. 

Maryland  was  settled  chiefly  by  Roman  Catholics,  200 
families  of  whom  landed  near  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac, 
]n  1633. 

*  As  we  may  judge  by  the  following  curious  extract  from  a  very  ancient 
writer: 

"  They  have  in  each  parish  a  convenient  church,  built  either  of  timber, 
brick,  or  stone,  and  decently  adorned  with  every  thing-  necessary  for  the  cele- 
bration of  divine  service. 

"If  a  parish  be  of  greater  extent  than  ordinary,  it  hath  generally  a  chapel  of 
ease;  and  some  of  the  parishes  have  two  such  chapels,  besides  the  church, 
for  the  greater  convenience  of  the  parishioners.  In  tiiese  chapels  the  minister 
preaclies  alternately,  alwaj  s  leaving  a  reader,  to  read  prayers  and  a  homily, 
when  he  cannot  attend  himself. 

"  The  people  arc  generally  of  the  church  of  England,  which  is  the  religion 
established  by  law  in  that  country,  from  which  there  are  very  few  dissenters. 
Yet  liberty  of  conscience  is  given  to  all  other  congregations  pretending  to 
Christianity,  on  condition  they  submit  to  all  parish  duties.  They  have  no 
more  than  five  conventicles  amongst  them,  namely,  three  small  meetings  of 
quakers,  and  two  of  presbyterians.  It  is  observed,  that  those  counties  where 
the  presbyterian  meetings  are,  produce  very  mean  tobacco ;  and  for  that  rea- 
son cannot  get  an  orthodox  minister  to  stay  amongst  them ;  but  whenever  they 
could,  the  people  very  orderly  went  to  church.  As  for  the  quakers,  it  is  ob- 
served, by  Jetting  them  alone,  they  decrease  daily. 

•'  The  maintenance  for  a  minister  there,  is  appoijitcd  by  law  at  16,000  pounds 
of  tobacco  per  annum  " 


456  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.lO. 

The  Swedes  and  the  Dutch  formed  settlements  on  the 
banks  of  tlie  Delaware  and  tlie  Hudson;  the  former 
bringing  with  them  their  episcopal,  and  the  latter  their 
presbyterian  mode  of  church  government. 

In  16S2,  Willianj  Penn  led  a  large  number  of  colonists 
to  the  state  which  now  bears  his  name.  He  and  his 
friends  had  adopted  the  sentiments  of  George  Fox,  and, 
though  hiniself  devoted  to  the  Stuarts,  he  knew  enough 
of  persecution  to  desire  to  plant  an  asylum.  Universal 
freedom  of  religion  was  established  in  his  colony. 

Carolina  was  settled  by  emigrants  of  different  religious 
sentiments,  and  an  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  govern- 
ment to  create  a  uniformity,  produced  nothing  but  dis- 
cord.    The  attempt  was  abandoned. 

Thus  did  the  hand  of  Providence  scatter  over  the  face 
of  this  new  world  the  seeds  of  civilization  and  of  piety, 
and  they  have  continued  to  flourish  until  the  fruits  they 
produce  are  the  admiration  of  the  globe.  The  principles 
of  civil  liberty  flowing  from  the  Bible,  ascertained  by  a 
diligent  perusal  of  that  cliarter  of  human  hope,  here  find 
their  dwelling;  and  we  of  a  late  generation  may  look 
back  to  the  refugees  from  European  tyranny  as  the 
founders  of  our  political  and  ecclesiastical  freedom. 

The  diversities  of  religious  opinion  among  the  first 
settlers  continued,  and  there  being  liltlc  to  call  the  atten- 
tion of  their  descendants  to  the  correctness  of  church 
order,  the  habjt  was  created  of  receiving  their  creed  as 
they  received  tlieir  estates, — making  it  a  part  of  their 
patrimony. 

We  know  there  is  a  peculiar  sacredness  thrown  around 
every  thing  that  appertained  to  our  remote  ancestry,  and 
especially  when  tliey  stood  firm  amid  a  tempest,  do  we 
bold  their  peculiarities  in  high  veneration.     Our  \ery 


Ceut.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  457 

pride  leads  to  this.  We  imitate  what  we  admire.  We 
forget  that  whatever  there  was  excellent  in  our  ancestors 
sprang  fron»  the  gospel,  and  that  whatever  was  eccentric 
in  them  was  no  part  of  that  gospel.  We  adopt  their 
eccentricities  as  gospel  itself.  We  thus  perpetuate  their 
faults.  What  they  iiappened  to  think  we  still  think,  and 
not  because  the  Bible  teaches  it  to  us.  We  are  papists 
because  our  fathers  were;  or  we  are  presbyterians,  or 
we  are  friends.  We  change  our  doctrines,  because 
about  them  we  inquire.  Our  forms  and  modes  we  re- 
tain as  they  were  handed  down  to  us,  because  about 
them  we  do  not  inquire.  Be  they  scriptural  or  unscrip- 
tural,  we  cleave  to  them.  Multiplied  as  we  now  are  by 
the  unexampled  prosperity  attending  free  institutions, 
our  different  denominations  bear  much  the  same  relative 
proportion  that  they  did  in  the  17th  century.  We  are 
to  avoid  angry  controversy,  but  calm  dispassionate  in- 
quiry, concerning  discipline  as  well  as  doctrine,  is  the 
duty  of  every  man. 


J  ..  ^ 


€i0i)tcc!itl)  Centura. 

CHAPTER  I. 

J^Iissions. 


The  18th  century  opened  with  more  encouraging 
prospects  for  the  cause  of  Christ  than  any  that  preceded 
it,  except  primitive  days.  The  light  of  the  sacred  volume 
had  free  course  over  England  and  America.     The  re- 

VoL.  II.  3  M 


468  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap,  1. 

formed  were  numerous  on  the  continent  of  Europe. 
"The  beast"*  was  wounded,  and,  according  to  the  pro- 
mise of  God,  began  to  fail.  The  human  mind,  freed 
from  his  despotism,  enjoyed  a  new  era;  an  era  of  unre- 
strained improvement.  Missions  were  carried  on.  For 
these  the  Moravians  were  remarkable.  When  the  Mo- 
ravian refugees,  on  Count  Zinzcndorf's  estates,  scarcely 
amounted  to  600  persons — when  they  had  only  just 
found  rest  from  suffering,  and  were  beginning  to  build  a 
church  and  habitations,  where  there  had  previously  been 
a  desert — so  great  was  their  ardent  piety  and  zeal  for 
the  extension  of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom,  that  in  the 
short  period  of  eight  or  nine  years,  they  had  sent  mis- 
sionaries to  Greenland,  to  the  Indians  in  North  and  South 
America,  to  many  of  the  West  India  Islands,  to  Lapland, 
to  Algiers,  to  Guinea,  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  to 
Ceylon,  and  subsequently  to  Labrador,  to  Tartary,  to 
the  Nicobar  islands,  to  Persia,  and  to  Egypt.  In  1 732, 
pitying  the  condition  of  the  Negroes  in  the  West  Indies, 
two  brethren  sailed  to  the  Danish  island  of  St.  Thomas; 
and  such  was  their  devotedness  to  the  work,  that  having 
beard  that  they  could  not  have  intercourse  with  the 
slaves  unless  they  themselves  became  slaves,  they  went 
with  that  full  purpose,  that  they  might  have  the  opportu- 
nity of  teaching  tlie  Africans  tiie  way  of  deliverance  from 
a  far  worse  captivity  than  that  of  the  body,  the  captivity 
of  sin  and  Satan.  Although  this  sacrifice  was  not  eventu- 
ally required  of  them,  sacrifices  scarcely  less  painful 
were  cheerfully  endured  for  many  years,  during  which 
they  had  to  maintain  themselves  by  manual  labour  under 
a  tropical  sun,  while  every  hour  of  leisure  was  employed 
in  conversing  with  the  heathen.     The  fruits  of  their  zeal 

•  See  Revelations. 


Ceiit.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  459 

and  perseverance  in  due  time  appeared;  and  in  the  West 
Indies  (Danish  and  British,)  there  are  now  more  tlian 
23,000  Negroes  joined  to  their  congregations,  and  a  vast 
number  have  entered  into  eternal  rest,  steadfast  in  the 
faith  of  Christ.  Not  a  step  behind  tliese  in  ardour  and 
self-denial  were  the  first  missionaries  that  went  to  Green- 
land in  1733.  These  were  plain  men,  who  knew  only 
their  native  tongue,  and  who,  in  order  to  acquire  one  of 
the  most  barbarous  dialects  on  the  earth,  had  to  learn 
the  Danish  language  first,  (hat  they  might  avail  themselves 
of  the  grammar  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Egede,  a  Danish  mis- 
sionary then  in  that  country.  JVoic,  the  principal  part 
of  the  population  of  Greenland  is  become  Christian,  and 
the  state  of  society  wonderfully  changed,  and  instruction, 
through  the  medium  of  the  Danish  as  well  as  Moravian 
teachers,  is  at  least  as  universal  in  that  inhospitable  clime 
as  in  our  own  country.  In  1734,  some  brethren  went 
among  the  Indians  of  North  America.  Their  labours, 
their  trials,  their  sufferings,  and  their  success,  were  ex- 
traordinary even  in  missionary  history.  Many  thousands 
of  these  roving  and  turbulent  savages,  of  all  other  per- 
haps the  m.ost  haughty  and  untractablc,  were  converted 
from  the  error  of  their  ways,  and  adorned  the  doctrines 
of  God  their  Saviour,  both  in  their  lives  and  by  their 
deaths.  On  one  occasion,  ninety-six  men,  women,  and 
children,  being  treacherously  made  prisoners  by  white 
banditti,  were  scalped  and  tomahawked  in  cold  blood, 
and,  according  to  the  testimony  of  their  murderers,  with 
their  latest  breath  gave  affecting  evidence  of  their  faith. 
At  another  time,  eleven  missionaries  were  burnt  alive  in 
their  dwellings,  or  massacred  and  thrown  back  into  the 
flames,  in  attempting  to  escape,  by  a  troop  of  Indians  in 
the  French  service. 


460  HISTORY  OF  THE  iCJiap.  1. 

All  may  contemplate  with  pleasure  the  missions  of  the 
United  Brethren,  they  manifest  so  fully  the  spirit  of  the 
gospel.  But  others  early  shared  in  the  labour  of  essay- 
ing the  conversion  of  the  heathen.  The  Christian 
Knowledge  Society,  and  the  Society  for  propagating  the 
Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  both  connected  with  the  church 
of  England,  sent  forth  the  light  of  the  gospel  with  the 
very  dawn  of  the  century,  and  continued  to  diffuse  it  to 
its  close.  By  tire  former  of  these  more  especially,  schools 
were  established,  and  Bibles,  prayer  books,  and  tracts* 
were  circulated.  The  Danish  missionary  society  also 
sent  forth  labourers.  As  early  as  1600,  missionaries 
were  sent  to  Lapland;  and  in  1640,  thirteen  Christian 
congregations  were  established.  Hans  Egede,  and  others 
entered  on  the  work  of  christianizing  Greenland.  But 
a  more  important  mission  was  that  to  India,  established 
by  the  Royal  College  of  Copenhagen,  and  the  Orphan's 
House  at  Halle.  The  work  commenced  in  1706.  So 
great  was  the  success,  and  so  important  the  field,  the 
English  Society  for  promoting  Christian  Knowledge  offer- 
ed assistance  and  support.  The  venerable  name  of 
Swartz  shines  bright  on  the  list  of  labourers  in  the  east. 
Hundreds  of  thousands  of  natives  are  said,  by  the  bless- 
ing of  God  on  their  efforts,  to  have  been  brought  to  the 
reception  of  the  truth. 

•  As  an  encouragement  to  the  circulation  of  tracts,  the  writer  would  observe 
that  he  saw  some  time  since,  a  tract  published  by  the  Society  for  the  Promo- 
tion of  Christian  Knowledge,  which  had  been  preserved  sixty  years. 


Cent.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  461 

CHAPTER  II. 

Methodists. 

This  new  denomination  was  founded  in  England  in 
the  year  17:29,  by  one  Mr.  Morgan,  and  Mr.  John  Wesley. 
In  the  month  of  November  of  that  year,  the  latter  being 
then  fellow  of  Lincoln  college,  began  to  spend  some 
evenings  in  reading  the  Greek  Testament,  with  Charles 
Wesley,  student,  Mr.  Morgan,  commoner  of  Christ 
church,  and  Mr.  Kirkham,  of  Merton  college.  Not  long 
afterwards,  two  or  three  of  the  pupils  of  Mr.  John  Wesley, 
and  one  pupil  of  Mr.  Charles  Wesley,  obtained  leave  to 
attend  these  meetings.  They  then  began  to  visit  the 
sick  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and  the  prisoners  also, 
who  were  confined  in  the  castle.  Two  years  after  they 
were  joined  by  Mi*.  Ingham  of  Q,ueen's  college,  Mr. 
Broughton,  and  Mr.  Hervey;  and,  in  1735,  by  the  cele- 
brated Mr.  Whitfield,  then  in  his  eighteenth  year.  At 
this  time  their  number  in  Oxford  amounted  to  about 
fourteen.  They  obtained  their  name  from  the  exact 
regularity  of  their  lives,  which  gave  occasion  to  a  young 
gentleman  of  Christ  church  to  say,  "Here  is  a  new  sect 
of  Methodists  sprung  up;"  alluding  to  a  sect  of  ancient 
physicians  who  were  called  Methodists,  because  they  re- 
duced the  whole  healing  art  to  a  few  common  principles, 
and  brought  it  into  some  method  and  order. 

They  were  patronized  and  encouraged  by  some  men 
eminent  for  their  learning  and  virtue;  so  that  the  society 
still  continued,  though  they  had  suffered  a  severe  loss, 
in  1730,  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Morgan,  who,  it  is  said, 
was  the  founder  of  it.    In  October,  1735,  John  and 


4G2  HIS  TORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

Charles  Wesley,  Mr.  Ingham,  and  Mr.  Delamotte,  son 
of  a  merchant  in  London,  embarked  for  Georgia,  in 
order  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  Indians.  After  their 
arrival  tliey  were  at  first  favourably  received,  but  in  a 
short  time  lost  the  affection  of  the  people;  and,  on  ac- 
count of  some  diiferences  with  the  storekeeper,  Mr. 
Wesley  was  obliged  to  return  to  England.  Mr.  Wesley, 
however,  was  soon  succeeded  by  Mr.  Whitfield,  whose 
repeated  labours  in  that  part  of  the  world  are  well  known. 

On  Mr.  Wesley's  return  from  Georgia,  he  paid  a  visit 
to  Count  Zinzendorf,  the  celebrated  founder  of  the  sect 
of  Moravians  or  Hernhutters,  at  Hernhut  in  Upper  Lu- 
satia.  In  the  following  year  he  appeared  again  in  Eng- 
land, and  with  his  brother  Charles,  at  the  head  of  the 
Methodists.  He  preached  his  first  field  sermon  at  Bristol, 
on  the  2d  of  April,  1738,  from  which  time  his  disciples 
have  continued  to  increase.  In  1741,  a  serious  alterca- 
tion took  place  between  him  and  Mr.  Whitfield.  In 
1744,  attempting  to  preach  at  an  inn  in  Taunton,  he 
was  put  to  silence  by  the  magistrates. 

After  Mr.  Whitfield  returned  from  America  in  1741, 
he  declared  his  full  assent  to  the  doctrines  of  Calvin. 
Mr.  Wesley,  on  the  contrary,  professed  the  Arminian 
doctrine,  and  had  printed  in  favour  of  perfection  and 
universal  redemption,  and  very  strongly  against  election; 
a  doctrine  which  Mr.  Whitfield  believed  to  be  scriptural. 
The  difference,  therefore,  of  sentiments  between  these 
two  great  men  caused  a  separation.  Mr.  Wesley  preach- 
ed in  a  place  called  the  Foundery,  where  Mr.  Whitfield 
preached  but  once,  and  no  more.  Mr.  Whitfield  then 
preached  to  very  large  congregations  out  of  doors;  and 
soon  after,  in  connexion  with  Mr.  Cennick,  and  one  or 


Cent.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  4G3 

two  more,  began  a  new  house,  in  Kingswood,  Gloucester- 
shire, and  established  a  school  that  favoured  Calvinistical 
preachers.  Tlie  Methodists,  tiierefore,  were  now  di- 
vided; one  part  following  Mr.  Wesley,  and  the  other  Mr. 
Whitfield. 

These  two  presbyters  of  the  church  of  England,  were 
undoubtedly  instruments  of  great  good.  When  they  be- 
gan their  labours,  a  torpor  seemed  to  have  seized  the 
religious  world-  Though  like  comets  in  their  move- 
ments through  the  ecclesiastical  syslcu),  they  roused  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  prove  a  blessing. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Wesley  his  people  divided,  but 
this  division,  it  seems,  respects  discipline  more  than  sen- 
timent. Mr.  Wesley  professed  a  strong  attachment  to 
the  established  church  of  England,  and  exhorted  the 
societies  under  his  care  to  attend  her  service,  and  receive 
the  Lord's  Supper  from  the  regular  clergy.  But  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  time  he  thought  proper  to  ordain  some 
bishops  and  priests  for  America  and  Scotland;  but  as 
one  or  two  of  the  bishops  have  never  been  out  of  Eng- 
land since  their  appointment  to  the  office,  it  is  probable 
that  he  intended  a  regular  ordination  should  take  place 
when  the  state  of  the  connexion  might  render  it  neces- 
sary. During  his  life,  some  of  the  societies  petitioned 
to  have  preaching  in  their  own  chapels  in  church  hours, 
and  the  Lord's  Supper  administered  by  the  travelling 
preachers.  This  request  he  generally  refused,  and, 
where  it  could  be  conveniently  done,  sent  some  of  the 
clergymen  who  officiated  at  the  New  Chapel  in  London 
to  perform  these  solemn  services.  It  was  with  the  great- 
est reluctance  he  undertook  to  create  a  bishop.  His 
right  to  do  so  he  denied;  and  in  the  commission  to 


464  HIS  TORY  OF  THE  [_Chap.  2. 

Coke  he  styled  himself  "  presbyter  of  the  church  of 
England/'* 

The  Calvinistic  Methodists  are  not  incorporated  into 
a  body  as  the  Arminians  are,  but  are  chiefly  under  the 
direction  or  influence  of  their  ministers  or  patrons.  Of 
the  latter,  Lady  Huntingdon  was  the  most  distinguished. 
She  patronized  them  to  a  very  great  extent. 

The  labours  of  the  Methodists  extended  to  Barbadoes, 
St.  Vincents,  Dominica,  St.  Christopher's,  Nevis,  An- 
tigua, St.  Eustatia,  Tortola,  and  St.  Croix,  vvhere  good 
has  been  done.  Among  the  Calvinistic  Methodists  there 
are  also  a  considerable  number  of  preachers,  whose  con- 


*  The  following  is  an  extract  of  a  letter  written  by  Dr.  Coke  to  the  bishop 
of  the  diocese  of  Pennsylvania,  after  his  arrival  in  America: 

"Rig-ht  Rev.  Sir, — Permit  me  to  intrude  a  little  on  your  time  upon  a  subject 
of  great  importance. 

"  You,  I  believe,  are  conscious  that  I  was  brought  up  in  the  church  of  Eng- 
land, and  have  been  ordained  a  presbyter  of  that  church.  For  man}'  years  I 
was  prejudiced,  even  I  think  to  bigotry  in  favour  of  it :  but  through  a  variety 
of  causes  or  incidents,  to  mention  which  would  be  tedious  and  useless,  my 
mind  was  exceedingly  biased  on  the  other  side  of  the  question.  In  consequence 
of  tliis,  I  am  not  sure  but  I  went  farther  in  the  separation  of  our  church  in 
America,  than  Mr.  Wesley,  from  whom  I  had  received  my  commission,  did  in- 
tend. He  did  indeed  solemnly  invest  me,  as  far  as  he  had  a  right  so  to  do, 
with  episcopal  authority,  but  did  not  intend,  I  think,  that  an  entire  separation 
should  take  place.  He,  being  pressed  by  our  friends  on  this  side  of  the  water 
for  ministers  to  administer  the  sacraments  to  them,  (there  being  very  few 
clergy  of  the  church  of  England  then  in  the  states,)  went  farther,  I  am  sure, 
than  he  would  have  gone,  if  he  had  foreseen  some  events  wiiich  follow  ed. 
And  this  I  am  certain  of — that  he  is  now  sorry  for  the  separation. 

"  But  what  can  be  done  for  a  reunion,  which  I  much  wisli  for;  and  to  ac- 
complish which  Mr.  Wesley,  I  have  no  doubt,  would  use  his  influence  to  the 
utmost?  The  affection  of  a  very  considerable  number  of  the  preachers,  and 
most  of  the  people,  is  very  strong  towards  him,  notwithstanding  the  excessive 
ill  usage  he  received  from  a  few.  My  interest  also  is  not  small;  and  both  his 
and  mine  would  I'cudily  and  to  the  utmost  be  used  to  accomplish  that  (to  us) 
very  desirable  object;  if  a  readiness  were  siiown  by  the  bishops  of  the  protes- 
tant  episcopal  church  to  reunite." 

[The  particular  terms  of  union  proposed  were  inadmissible. — See  Bishop 
"White's  Hisiorv  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Cluirch.] 


Cent.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  465 

gregalions  and  societies  are  very  extensive:  some  of  their 
chapels  in  London  are  Iho  larfi;pst  and  best  attended  in 
the  world:  it  is  almost  incredil)ie  to  see  the  numbers  of 
people  who  flock  to  these  places.  In  North  Wales  also 
they  have  become  numerous. 

The  wish  of  the  great  founder  of  the  Methodists  to 
remain  in  communion  with  tiie  church  of  England  having 
been  departed  from  by  very  many  of  his  followers,  divi- 
sions and  subdivisions  have  multiplied.  One  departure 
from  primitive  church  order  oft  paves  the  way  for  a  hun- 
died  new  sects. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Protestant  Episcojml  Church  of  the  United  States. 

From  circumstances  already  statetl,  the  greater  part 
of  the  settlers  in  North  America  were  presbyterians  and 
congregationalists.  But  there  was  a  goodly  number  at- 
tached to  episcopacy.  Of  these  the  Swedes  continued 
to  receive  ordination  from  Europe.  The  Moravians 
procured  for  themselves  bishops  from  their  parent  esta- 
blishment. The  large  remainder,  descended  from  mem- 
bers of  the  church  of  England,  or  themselves  originally 
attached  to  it,  associated  as  an  American  church.  The 
practice  of  these  had  been  to  receive  miniiiters  already 
ordained,  from  England,  or  to  send  candidates  for  orders 
to  the  bishop  of  London.  liumediately  after  the  war  of 
the  revolution,  several  young  men  went  from  the  south 
to  receive  ordination.  They  were  citizens  of  an  inde- 
pendent empire,  and  disposed  to  onn  allegiance  to  no 
other.  They  went  to  receive  apijointment  to  the  minis- 
try of  a  kingdom  not  of  this  world.     The  existing  Jaws 

Vol.  IL  3  N 


466  HISTORY  OK  THE  [C/iajj.  3. 

of  Great  Britain  were  in  their  way.  The  bishop  of 
London  could  ordain  none  who  did  not  acknowledge  the 
supremacy  of  his  government.  Of  course  the  candidates 
were  obliged  to  wait  until  parliament  could  pass  a  law 
allowing  the  bishop  to  exercise  his  spiritual  authority  in- 
dependent of  political  considerations.  This  law  the 
bishop  obtained.  But  while  the  question  was  depending, 
Mr.  Adams,  American  minister  at  the  court  of  St.  James, 
having  asked  the  Danish  minister  whether  the  bishops  of 
Denmark  would  not  ordain  the  candidates,  if  requested 
to  do  so,  the  Danish  minister  wrote  home  on  the  subject, 
and  an  answer  was  received  some  time  after^  stating  that 
they  would. 

It  was,  however,  resolved  to  obtain  the  episcopate,  that 
the  American  church  might  be  complete  within  itself. 
The  first  application  for  this  was  made  by  the  clergy  of 
Connecticut,  joined  by  some  of  those  of  New  York.  The 
Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  DD.  was  recommended  by  them 
for  consecration,  in  1 783.  A  difficulty  similar  to  that  just 
adverted  to,  occurring  in  England,  he  was  consecrated 
by  the  bishops  of  Scotland,  on  the  14th  November,  1784. 

In  September,  1785,  a  convention  of  clerical  and  lay 
delegates  from  seven  of  the  thirteen  United  States,  held 
in  Philadelphia,  after  so  revising  the  book  of  common 
prayer  as  to  accommodate  it  to  the  improved  state  of 
civil  government,  resolved  on  an  application  to  the  bishops 
of  the  church  of  England,  to  consecrate  to  the  episcopacy 
such  persons  as  should  be  recommended  to  them  by  the 
churches  of  the  several  states.  This  application  was 
forwarded,  accompanied  by  certificates  from  the  execu- 
tives of  the  states,  that  it  was  perfectly  consonant  with 
the  civil  constitutions  of  the  land.  It  contemplated  no 
union  with  government,  either  foreign  or  domestic.  It 
was  a  mere  seeking  of  the  church  of  England,  as  a  spi- 


Cent.  18.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  467 

ritual  body,  that  ministry  which  might  have  been  obtain- 
ed in  equal  vahdity  from  the  church  of  Scotland,  of  Den- 
mark, or  of  Moravia.  The  British  parliament  granted 
the  necessary  permission  to  consecrate  bishops,  without 
the  ordinary  oaths  of  allegiance  being  taken,  and  on  the 
4th  February,  1787,  the  Rev.  Wm.  White.  D.D.  was 
consecrated  bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  Rev  Samuel 
Provost,  D.D.  bishop  of  New  York.  On  the  19th  Sop- 
tember,  1790,  the  Rev.  James  Madison,  D.D.  was  con- 
secrated bishop  of  Virginia. 

There  were  now  four  bishops  of  the  protestant  epis- 
copal church  in  the  United  States.  In  all  respects, 
therefore,  the  church  became  a  whole:  having  within 
itself  the  power  of  transmitting  its  ministry.* 

A  constitution  was  adopted;  some  alterations  made  in 
the  liturgy;  the  necessary  canons  enacted;  and  the  church 
commenced  that  harmonious  career  for  which  it  has  been 
distinguished  to  the  present  time. 

Assembled  in  chief  judicature,  the  bishops  of  this 
church  form  one  house,  and  the  clerical  and  lay  dele- 
gates from  the  respective  dioceses,  another.  The  vote 
of  both  these  houses  is  necessary  to  the  passage  of  any 
act. 

In  each  diocese,  a  convention  of  the  bishop,  clergy, 
and  lay  delegates  from  the  respective  vestries,  is  held 
every  year.  The  general  convention,  or  highest  judica- 
ture of  the  church,  is  triennial. 

Diversities  of  sentiment  are  to  be  expected,  but  of  this 
church  there  has  been  as  yet  no  division;  and  such  is 
the  preserving  power  of  a  scriptural  liturgy,  not  one  of 

*  The  whole  number  of  bishops  of  the  protestant  episcopal  church  up  to 
the  present  date  is  twenty;  of  whom  the  second  in  order  of  consecration,  the 
Right  Rev.  Bishop  White,  is  yet  living.    July  4, 1825. 


468  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChup.  4. 

her  congregations  has  departed  to  heresy  since  her  first 
organization.  Prosperity  has  attended  her.  Decayed 
altars  have  been  rebuilt.  Desolate  wastes  have  been  re- 
vived. She  has  lengthened  her  cords  and  strengthened 
her  stakes,  and  even  to  the  present  hour  she  has  con- 
tinued to  rejoice  under  the  blessing  of  the  Almighty. 
May  that  blessing  increase. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

JnHilels. 

These  have  existed  in  every  age;  for  the  heart  being 
corrupt,  has  always  opposed  the  law  of  God.  Herbert, 
Bolingbroke,  and  especially  Hume,  in  Great  Britain, 
sought  to  pour  an  Egyptian  darkness  into  the  whole  re- 
gion of  morals.  The  last  of  these  declared  adultery  no 
crime.  But  the  blasphemies  of  the  continent  of  Europe 
were  still  worse.  Voltaire  and  his  fellows  entered  into 
a  league  to  destroy  religion.  It  is  to  be  said  for  them, 
that  they  were  trained  in  the  habit  of  contemplating  the 
monstrous  corruptions  of  popery,  and  not  the  simple 
gospel.  Had  they  lived  in  more  favoured  lands  they 
would  doubtless  not  have  been  as  unblushing  as  they 
were. 

Pirie,  in  a  lecture  on  the  mother  of  harlots,  expresses 
himself  in  the  following  remarkable  words:  "But  you 
will  now  ask  me,  who  is  this  mistress,  and  what  her 
charms,  that  can  engage  the  affections  of  so  ferocious  a 
savage.''  A  daughter  of  Babylon  the  Great,  you  may  be 
sure,  as  she  is  the  mother  of  all  the  harlots  of  the  last 
times.   She  calls  herself  in  French,  Mademoiselle  Raison, 


Cent.  19.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  469 

ill  English,  J\liss  Reason,  and  claims  an  heavenly  origin. 
Like  Diana  of  Ephesus,  she  says,  she  is  'a  goddess  that 
fell  down  from  Jupiter,' and  upon  this  descent  she  deems 
herself  entitled  to  the  worship  of  Europe,  and  of  the 
whole  world.  Her  real  name,  however,  is  Jnfuhiihj,  be- 
got by  false  philosophy,  and  born  of  the  false  church  in 
whose  secret  recesses  she  had  been  long  hatching,  until 
her  full  time  came.  The  characlei  istic  of  Home  is  su- 
perstition, and  superstition  naturally  produces  infidelity. 
So  soon  as  one  uneidightened  by  the  gospel  discerns  the 
cheat  a  false  religion  or  superstition  has  put  upon  him, 
he  instantly  becomes  an  infidel." 

But  the  champions  of  infidelity  were  among  the  chief 
promoters  of  the  gospel.  Their  assaults  called  forth  a 
weight  of  argument  on  the  side  of  the  sacred  volume, 
which  all  the  ingenuity  of  hell  cannot  refute.  They 
roused  a  new  energy  in  Christendom.  That  energy  has 
ever  since  been  going  on  in  a  course  of  illustrious  achieve- 
ment. So  true  is  it  God  will  make  man's  wrath  to  praise 
him. 


I^inctccntji  Cctirurp. 

CHAPTER  I. 

BiUc  Sodefij. 

We  need  no  other  proof  of  the  fact  that  the  attacks  of 
infidels  have  been  overruled  to  the  promotion  of  the 
cause  of  the  Redeemer,  than  a  view  of  the  stupendous 
works  commencing  with  the  nineteenth  century. 


470  HISTORY  OF  THE  ICkap.  1. 

There  had  existed  in  England,  the  Society  for  the 
Pronnotion  of  Christian  Knowledge,  which,  along  with 
other  books,  distributed  the  Bible  to  great  extent;  the 
Canstein  Institution  at  Halle,  in  Saxony,  had  published, 
since  the  year  of  its  formation,  1712,  two  million  of 
Bibles,  and  one  million  of  Testaments;  but  there  need- 
ed an  association  which  should  combine  within  itself  the 
energies  of  the  faithful.  Such  an  institution  arose  in 
that  wonder  of  the  age,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society. 

"In  the  month  of  December,  1802,  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Charles,  B.A.  of  Bala,  an  ordained  minister  of  the  esta- 
blished church,  but  officiating  in  connexion  with  the 
Welsh  Calvinistic  Methodists — a  man  of  zealous  piety 
and  indefatigable  exertion,  and  by  his  habit  of  itinerating 
and  promoting  Sunday  schools,  rendered  intimately  fami- 
liar with  the  wants  of  his  countrymen — was  in  London; 
when  he  proposed  a  contribution,  in  aid  of  the  plan  for 
printing  and  distributing  the  scriptures  among  them. 
On  the  7th  of  that  month,  the  subject  having  been  intro- 
duced by  Mr.  Joseph  Tarn,  the  present  assistant  secre- 
tary and  accountant  to  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society,  in  a  circle  of  friends  who  had  met  to  transact  a 
different  business,  Mr.  Charles  preferred  his  suit  on  be- 
half of  his  countrymen,  describing  the  want  of  Welsh 
Bibles,  and  the  failure  of  all  attempts  to  obtain  them  in 
the  usual  channel,  and  urging  with  importunate  earnest- 
ness the  necessity  of  resorting  in  this  painful  extremity 
to  '  new  and  extraordinary  means.' 

"  This  proposition  gave  rise  to  a  conversation  of  some 
length,  in  the  course  of  which  it  was  suggested,  that,  as 
Wales  was  not  the  only  part  of  the  kingdom  in  which 
such  a  want  as  had  been  described  might  be  supposed 


Cfenf.  19.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST-  47I 

to  prevail,  it  would  be  desirable  to  take  such  steps  as 
might  be  likely  to  stir  up  the  public  mind  to  a  general 
dispersion  of  the  scriptures.  To  this  suggestion,  which 
proceeded  from  tlie  Rev.  Joseph  Hughes,  a  baptist  mi- 
nister, one  of  the  society's  present  secretaries,  and  which 
was  warmly  encouraged  by  the  rest  of  the  company,  we 
are  to  trace  the  dawn  of  those  measures,  which,  expand- 
ing with  time,  and  progressive  discussion,  issued  at  length 
in  the  proposal  and  establishment  of  the  British  and  Fo- 
reign Bible  Society.^^ 

In  the  year  1808,  a  number  of  Christians  at  Philadel- 
phia, with  the  senior  bishop  of  the  protestant  episcopal 
church  of  the  United  States  at  their  head,  organized  the 
first  American  Bible  society.  In  the  year  1812,  a  Rus- 
sian Bible  society  was  established.  In  the  year  1816,  a 
national  Bible  society  was  established  in  the  United 
States.  And  now  we  have  the  delight  of  beholding  so- 
cieties for  the  free  distribution  of  the  sacred  volume  ac- 
tively engaged  throughout  the  world. 

We  are  astonished — to  use  the  eloquent  language  of 
that  invaluable  champion  of  sound  truth,  the  Christian 
Observer — we  are  astonished,  in  surveying  the  history 
of  this  institution,  to  see  that  the  Bible,  which  had  hither- 
to been  a  sealed  book  to  three-fourths  of  the  world,  is  at 
once,  as  if  by  an  authority  as  paramount  as  that  which 
said,  "  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light,"  diffusing 
over  the  world.  We  are  astonished  to  see  nations  hither- 
to occupied  chiefly  in  forging  instruments  of  reciprocal 
injury  and  warfare,  at  once,  as  by  that  force  of  adhesion 
which  binds  together  the  discordant  and  centrifugal  ele- 
ments of  the  globe,  brought  to  co-operate  and  to  assist 
each  other.  We  are  astonished  to  see  that  those  reli- 
gious, or  rather  irreligious,  feuds  which  had  hitherto 


472  HISTORY  OF  THE  [C7m/>.  1. 

conslituled  stronger  lines  of  separation  than  the  physical 
boundaries  of  nature  oj"  the  artificial  barriers  of  political 
society,  have  at  once  sunk  and  disappeared  in  the  pre- 
sence of  this  institution.  We  look  for  them,  but,  like 
sonie  of  the  inhabitants  of  those  volcanic  countries  who 
search  in  vain  to  day  for  an  island  which  tiiey  beheld 
yesterday,  we  see  them  no  more.  We  are  astonished  to 
lind  that  tlie  principle  of  universal  love,  hitherto  of  the 
slowest  growth  in  the  soil  of  human  nature — hilherto 
flourisliing  only  in  the  little  area  of  some  devout  niansion, 
or  in  the  courts  of  some  retired  temple — has  now  shot 
deep  roots  and  protruded  giant  branches,  and  scattered 
its  seed  in  all  countries;  and,  what  is  more,  has  found,  in 
all  countries,  a  soil,  and  atmosphere,  and  cultivators  con- 
genial to  its  health  and  growth; — that,  in  fact,  the  figu- 
rative language  of  scripture  is  realized,  and  the  "grain 
of  mustard  seed"  is  becoming  a  great  tree,  and  the  birds 
of  all  countries  settle  on  its  branches.  We  are,  more- 
over, astonished  at  the  rapidity  of  this  transforujation. 
Prejudice,  selfishness,  indolence,  covetousness,  the  spirit 
of  nationality,  of  monopoly,  and  what  has  been  called  by 
a  great  and  good  man  that  "  nasty  little  corporation 
spirit,"  which  ties  our  hands  and  freezes  our  hearts,  and 
makes  self  the  centre  and  circumference  of  all  our  de- 
sires and  feelings,  had,  up  to  this  period,  proved  to  be 
principles  of  tough,  unbending,  unaccommodating  texture 
— principles,  which  have  a  thousand  times  turned  back, 
blunted  and  dishonoured,  every  weapon  that  truth  and 
beneficence  could  aim  at  them.  We  are  as  much  asto- 
nished that  this  zeal  should  have  diffused  itself  among  all 
ranks  of  the  community.  Hitherto  it  had  been  a  suffi- 
cient apology  for  the  infidelity  or  indifference  of  the 
great,  that  the  common  people  believed  in  or  advocated 


Cent.  19.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST,  473 

any  particular  truth.  Nor  were  the  poor  less  indisposed 
to  participate  in  the  projects  of  enterprises  of  the  great. 
A  wall,  as  wide  and  strong  as  that  of  China,  was  built 
up  between  the  various  classes  of  society — and  a  sort  of 
caste  contrived,  by  which  all  community  of  interest  and 
feeling  between  the  poor  and  rich  was  destroyed.  But 
now,  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  forgetting,  on  the  one 
hand,  their  elevation,  and,  on  the  other,  their  depression, 
have  "  met  together,"  as  the  servants  of  that  God  who 
*'  is  no  respecter  of  persons,'^  to  discharge  their  part  in 
this  great  work — none  disdaining  or  refusing  to  be  hew- 
ers of  wood,  or  carriers  of  water  in  this  sanctuary. 

Against  this  society  the  pope  has  issued  his  bull,  call- 
ing it  an  agent  of  the  devil,  and  the  Grand  Seignior  has 
sent  forth  his  firman,  and  some  crowned  heads,  who  have 
begun  to  discover  that  despotism  and  the  Bible  cannot 
exist  together,  have  threatened  their  hostility;  but  it  rests 
upon  the  promise  of  Omnipotence,  "  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail.'' 


CHAPTER  II. 

^undmj   Schools. —  Tracts. — Missions. —  The    Jews. — Syrian 

Christians. 

Before  the  close  of  the  last  century,  Robert. Raikes 
of  Gloucester,  in  England,  was  the  honoured  instrument 
of  commencing  schools  for  the  instruction  of  the  rising 
generation  in  the  truths  of  the  Lord,  on  the  Lord's  day. 
As  early  as  1785,  a  society  was  formed  in  London,  under 
the  patronage  of  a  number  of  the  leading  clergy  of  the 
church  of  England,  for  the  encouragement  of  Sunday 
schools  in  the  different  counties  in  England;  and  in  181 1 , 

Vol.  II.  5  O 


474  HISTORY  OF  THE  IChap.  2. 

300,000  children  were  thus  instructed,  in  the  various 
parts  of  Britain.  The  system  of  Sunday  school  instruc- 
tion has  increased  in  efficiency  every  year  since,  and 
now  promises  to  change  the  face  of  society  in  Christen- 
dom. 

Tract  societies,  though  hy  no  means  new,  have  within 
the  quarter  of  a  century  greatly  increased  in  number  and 
efficiency. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  missions.  These  have  been 
blessed  to  the  evangelizing  of  the  Society  isles,  of  Green- 
land and  Labrador,  of  parts  of  the  continent  of  Africa 
and  of  Asia,  and  indeed  of  almost  all  the  dark  corners 
of  the  earth.  The  beams  of  the  morning  are  evidently 
breaking  on  the  world;  and  though  an  eclipse  may  be 
experienced,  we  know  from  what  we  see,  as  well  as  from 
prophecy,  that  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  be  uni- 
versally diffused. 

The  order  of  promise  is,  that  the  receiving  of  the  Jews 
shall  be  to  the  rest  of  the  nations  as  life  from  the  dead. 
With  peculiar  joy,  therefore,  we  record  that  efforts  are 
making  to  diffuse,  among  them  the  knowledge  of  the 
Messiah. 

It  is  not  among  the  least  encouraging  circumstances 
of  the  age,  that  the  remnants  of  those  churches  scattered 
in  the  lands  where  the  apostles  laboured,  are  beginning 
to  retrace  their  steps  toward  the  purity  and  simplicity  of 
primitive  days.  Of  these  we  have  a  most  interesting 
specimen  in  the  Syrians  of  Malabar. 

These  interesting  disciples  were  visited  by  Claudius 
Buchanan,  that  distinguished  herald,  who  made  known 
to  Europe  her  path  of  duty,  and  proclaimed  to  Asia  a 
brighter  era.     He  gives  this  account  of  them: 

The  Syrian  Christians  inhabit  the  interior  of  Tra^ 


Cent.  19.]  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  475 

vancore  and  Malabar,  in  the  south  of  India,  and  have 
been  settled  there  from  the  early  ages  of  Christianity. 
The  first  notices  of  this  ancient  people  in  recent  times 
are  to  be  found  in  the  Portuguese  histories.  When 
Vasco  de  Gania  arrived  at  Cochin,  on  the  coast  of  Ma- 
labar, in  the  year  1503,  he  saw  the  sceptre  of  the  Chris- 
tian king;  for  the  Syrian  Christians  had  formerly  regal 
power  in  Malay-ala.*  The  name  or  title  of  their  last 
king  was  Beliarte;  and  he  dying  without  issue,  the  do- 
minion devolved  on  the  king  of  Cochin  and  Diamper. 

When  the  Portuguese  ariived,  they  were  agreeably 
surprised  to  find  upwards  of  a  hundred  Christian  churches 
on  the  coast  of  Malabar.  But  when  they  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  their  worship, 
they  were  offended.  "  These  churches,"  said  the  Por- 
tuguese, "  belong  to  the  pope."  "  Who  is  the  pope," 
said  the  natives,  "  we  never  heard  of  him.^"  The  Eu- 
ropean priests  were  yet  more  alarmed,  when  they  found 
that  these  Hindoo  Christians  maintained  the  order  and 
discipline  of  a  regular  church  under  episcopal  jurisdic- 
tion: and  that,  for  1300  years  past,  they  had  enjoyed  a 
succession  of  bishops  appointed  by  the  patriarch  of  An- 
tioch. — "We,"  said  they,  "are  of  the  true  faith,  what- 
ever you  from  the  west  may  be;  for  we  come  from  the 
place  where  the  followers  of  Christ  were  first  called 
Christians." 

When  the  power  of  the  Portuguese  became  sufficient 
for  their  purpose,  they  invaded  these  tranquil  churches, 
seized  some  of  the  clergy,  and  devoted  them  to  the  death 

*  Malay-ala  is  the  proper  name  for  the  whole  country  of  Travancore  and 
Malabar,  comprehending  the  territory  between  the  mountains  and  the  sea, 
from  Cape  Comorin  to  Cape  lUi  or  Dilly.  The  language  of  these  extensive 
regions  is  called  Malayalim,  and  sometimes  Malabar.  We  shall  use  ttie  word 
Malabar,  as  being  of  easier  pronunciation^. 


476  HISrORY  OF  THE  '  ICIiup.  i,n 

of  heretics.  Then  the  inhabitants  heard  for  the  first 
time  that  tliere  was  a  place  called  the  inquisition;  and 
that  its  fires  had  been  lately  lighted  at  Goa,  near  their 
own  land.  But  the  Portuguese,  finding  that  the  people 
were  resolute  in  defending  their  ancient  faith,  began  to 
try  more  conciliatory  jneasures.  They  seized  the  Syrian 
bishop  Mar  Josepl),  and  sent  him  prisoner  to  Lisbon- 
and  then  convened  a  synod  at  one  of  the  Syrian  churches 
called  Diampcr,  near  Cochin,  at  which  the  Romish 
archbishop  Menezes  presided.  At  this  compulsory  synod, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  Syrian  clergy  appeared. 
They  were  accused  of  the  following  pi'actices  and  opi- 
nions: "That  they  had  married  wives;  that  they  owned 
but  two  sacraments,  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper; 
that  they  neither  invoked  saints,  nor  worshipped  images, 
nor  believed  in  purgatory:  and  that  they  had  no  other 
orders  or  names  of  dignity  in  the  church  than  bishop, 
priest  and  deacon."  These  tenets  they  were  called  on 
to  abjure,  or  to  suffer  suspension  from  all  chuixh  bene- 
fices. It  was  also  decreed  that  all  the  Syrian  books  on 
ecclesiastical  subjects  that  could  be  found,  should  be 
burned;  "in  order."  said  the  inquisitors,  "  that  no  pre- 
tended apostolical  monuments  may  remain." 

While  the  churches  on  the  sea-coast  yielded  to  the 
compulsion,  those  in  the  interior  proclaimed  eternal  war 
against  the  inquisition;  they  hid  their  books,  fled  occa- 
sionally to  the  mountains,  and  sought  the  protection  of 
the  native  princes,  who  had  always  been  proud  of  their 
alliance. 

Two  centuries  had  elapsed  without  any  particular  in- 
formation concerning  the  Syrian  Christians  in  the  inte- 
rior of  India.  Buchanan  discovered  them.  They  had 
riot  heard  of  the  reformation,  and  knew  nothing  of  the 


Cmt^9j^  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST.  477 

novelties  which  sprang  up  during  its  progress.  Amid 
the  fastnesses  of  their  retirement  they  cUing  to  their  pri- 
mitive modes,  strangers  to  all  beside  save  popery  and 
heathenism.  But  they  had  fallen  into  a  degree  of  luke- 
warmness.  The  copies  of  the  scriptures  among  them 
were  few.  They  needed  a  revival.  This,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  various  means  judiciously  established 
for  their  benefit,  is  going  on;  and  there  is  reason  to  hope 
they  will  yet  arise  strong  in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power 
of  his  might. 

We  behold  abundant  proofs  of  the  faithfulness  of  our 
God,  as  we  contemplate  his  presence  with  his  church. 
He  has  permitted  her  to  pass  through  various  trials,  but 
his  own  right  arm  lias  always  defended  her.  In  the 
storm  of  heathen  persecution,  he  supported  and  strength- 
ened his  people.  Amid  the  insidiousness  of  heresy,  he 
raised  up  firm  defenders  of  the  truth.  In  the  darkest 
periods  of  popery,  he  was  not  without  tens  of  thousands 
who  refused  to  bow  the  knee  to  Baal.  The  valleys  of 
Piedmont  bore  testimony  to  his  Jiove.  When  corruption 
had  run  its  course,  and,  as  is  always  th6  case,  when  it  is 
permitted  so  to  do,  had  displayed  its  deformity,  he  gave 
to  shine,  like  stars  to  a  midnight  sky,  Wickliff,  Cranmer, 
Luther,  Calvin,  and  all  those  who  revealed  the  long  hid- 
den light  of  truth.  He  has  preserved  his  cause  even 
amid  the  errors  of  his  servants,  and  in  these  latter  years 
he  has  so  pourfed  out  his  Spirit  from  on  high,  and  so 
aroused  and  directed  the  energies  of  Christendom,  that 
he  has  added  proof  to  promise,  that  all  shall  know  him 
from  tha  least  to  the  greatest. 

A  view  of  the  progress  of  the  church,  gives  us  at  the 
same  lime  the  strongest  evidence  of  the  depravity  of  man. 
Who  that  sees  the  corruptions  men  have  introduced,  who 


478  HISTORY  OF,  &c>  IChap.  2. 

that  marks  the  errors  with  which  they  have  deformed 
the  fair  aspect  of  truth,  who  that  reads  of  th6  massa- 
cres* and  inquisitions  of  Rome,  of  the  intolerance  of  the 
protestantSjf  of  the  attempts  to  deny  Clirist's  essential 
glory,  who  that  reads  of  these  but  must  confess  that  man 
is  desperately  wicked. 

*  Seventy  thousand  were  slain  during  the  one  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew's, 
in  France. 

f  Seven  thousand  clergymen  were  ejected  by  the  puritans  when  they  came 
into  power:  2000  afterward  by  the  church  of  England. — See  Christian  Ob- 
server :  Review  of  Southey's  Book  of  the  Church. 


EXD  OF  VOLUME  II. 


INDEX. 


Athens,  36—8. 

Alexandria,  113,  157.  245. 

Arianus,  114. 

Andrew,  114. 

Atonement,  8.  11.  13.  15.  17.  20.  21. 

136—149.  169.  181—5.  197.      See 

Justification  by  Faith. 
Alexander,  43. 
Adrian,  152. 
Aristides,  154. 
Alia,  157. 

Antoninus  Pius,  160. 
Antioch,  129. 
iEgesippus,  218. 
Athenagoras,  225. 
Ariiis  and  Arianism,  346,  &c, 
Athanasius,  353,  &c. 
Abyssinia,  368. 
Armenia,  371. 
Anthony,  371. 
Antioch,  Council  of,  382. 
Ambrose  of  Milan,  385.  393. 
Augustine,  419.  435. 
Adrian,  ii.  10. 
Ado,  ii.  14. 
Alfred,  ii.  15. 
Adelberl,  ii.  23. 
Anselm,  ii.  29.  &c. 
Abelard,  ii.  41. 
Antichrist,  ii.  &7.    See  every  thing  con- 

certmig  Home,  Papal. 
Albigenses,  ii.  70. 
Arsenius,  ii.  92. 
Aquinas,  Thomas,  ii.  110. 
Adrian  VI.  ii.  313. 
Anabaptists,  ii.  340.  376. 
Associations,  ii.  4(09. 
Abbot,  ii.  421. 
Arminianism,  ii.  442. 
America,  ii.  453. 

B. 

Barnabas,  16.  25—8.  31.  113. 
Baptism,  13.  14.  19.  20.  21.  23.  27.  28. 

34.  35.  42.  168.  253.  257.  309.  358. 

477.  ii.  53. 


Berea,  36. 

Blandina,  205. 

Bardasanes,  220. 

Bartholomew,  246. 

Bulls,  418. 

Boniface,  482. 

Bede,  ii.  3. 

Blasphemies  of  Rome,  ii.  15.  36.  213- 

285.  370—1. 
Bernard,  ii.  38. 
Brown,  John,  ii.  146. 
Bull  of  Leo  X.,  ii.  27Z. 
Becket,  ii.  367. 
Bancroft,  ii.  420. 
Bible  Society,  ii.  469. 

C. 

Cromwell,  ii.  433. 

Charles  II.,  ii.  436, 

Councils,  30,  31.  See  names  of  placet, 
where  held. 

Church  Government.  See  Govern- 
ment. 

Caligula,  86. 

Claudius,  87. 

Church  of  Christ,  102—4. 

Clemens,  105—12. 

Corinth,  38.  106—12, 

Constantinople,  114. 

Cerinthus,  115.  121. 

Cornelius,  22. 

Confirmation,  19. 

Commodus,  226. 

Clemens  Alexandrinus,  247. 

Cyprian,  264—297.  306.  314—20, 

Catechist,  247.  436. 

Child,  Fortitude  of,  321. 

Coustantine,  340. 

Constantius,  359. 

Constans,  361. 

Constantinople,  Council  of,  390.  487. 

Catechumen,  396. 

Chrysostom,  409. 

Coelestius,  430. 

Common  Prayer. 

Catechising,  436. 

Clovis,  453 , 


S/^e  Liturgy, 


480 


INDEX, 


Columban,  480. 
Charlemagne,  ii.  10.  S;c. 
Ciildees,  ii.  14. 
Claudius  of  Turin,  ii.  17. 
Crusades,  ii.  32.  35. 
Cathari,  ii.  43. 
Celestine,  5.  ii.  99. 
Cajetan,  ii.  100. 
Cobham,  ii.  124 — 42. 
Constance,  Council  of,  ii.  150. 
Cajetan,  ii.  249. 
Consubstantiation,  ii.  317. 
Calvin,  ii.  336. 

Cranmer,  li.  347.  359.  394,  &c. 
Charles  I.,  ii.  421. 

D. 

Divinity  of  Christ,  7.  8.  18.  112.  115. 

136—148.  181. 184—5.  197—9.200. 

201.  209.  216.  218.  225.   229—30. 

237—9.   240.   292.   307.  319.  326. 

338.  352.  389.  395.  441.  485.  ii.  4. 

30—1.  62.  109. 
Deacons,  17—19.  258.  277.  286.  291. 

296.  312.  314.  329.  335.  337.  363. 

383.  396. 
Domitian,  105.  117. 
Docetx,  121.  189. 
Depravity,  8.  9. 18. 20.  39.  68. 74. 124. 

174—7.  206.  266.  403.  419.  Sec.  429. 

&c.  ii.  15.  21.  &c.  63.  87.  103.  219. 

269.  ii.  354.  390. 
Dionysius,  221. 
Demetrius,  249.  252. 
Dionysius  of  Alexandria,  298. 
Dioceses,  Primitive,  330. 
Diocletian,  332. 
Donatus,  347. 
Doxology,  396. 
Donatists,  435. 
Denmark,  ii.  31.  314. 
Dominic,  ii.  98. 
Diet  of  Worms,  ii.  285. 
Dodwell,  ii.  441. 

E. 
Ephesus,  42—4.  123. 
Ebionites,  118.  122. 
Enodius,  129. 
Epaphroditus,  73. 
Ephraim  the  Syrian,  405. 
Epipiianius,  453.  ii.  11. 
Eutyches,  458.  484. 
Ethelbert,  470. 
Edwin,  476. 
Erasmus,  ii.  234.  321. 
Eckius,  ii.  261 — 6. 
England,  ii.  354.  &c. 
Edward  VI.,  ii.  373 
Elizabeth,  ii.  401. 


Frumentius,  368—9. 
Faustus,  423. 
Franciscans,  ii.  88. 
Faith.     Sse  Justiji cation  bv, 
Francis,  ii.  97. 
Friar.s,  ii.  101. 
Fanatics,  ii.  309. 
Friends,  ii.  435. 

O, 

Government  of  tlie  Cluirch,  11.   I   . 

17.  31.  33.  104.  109.  114.  117.  129. 

133—5.   136—148.    151.  158.    168. 

187.  209.  218.  221.  226.  247.  255. 

264—5.  273—5.  287.  295—6.  309. 

314.  317.  325.  329—31.  337.  349. 

443.  ii.  313.  340.  374. 
Gnostics,  121. 
Gallic,  40. 
Gratian,  389. 
Games  of  Chance,  418. 
Germanus,  448. 
Gregory  1.,  462. 
Great  Britain,  468.  475. 
Grossteste,  Robert,  ii.  100— UO. 
Gustavus  Vasa,  ii.  315. 
George  Duke,  ii.  326. 
Gardiner,  ii.  389.  391. 
Grindall,  ii.  408.  &c. 

H. 

Hosius  of  Corduba,  361 .  364. 
Huss,  John,  ii.  150—196. 
Herman  Tast,  ii.  314. 
Henry  VIII.,  ii.  354. 
Homilies,  ii.  373. 
Hooper,  ii.  387. 

I. 

Ignatius,  129—148.  187. 
Irenaeus,  234. 
India,  246. 

Infant  Baptism,  309.  ii.  53.  377. 
Idolatry,  ii.  6.  7.  10.  16. 
Images,  ii.  7.  10. 
Inquisition,  ii.  71. 
Indulgences,  ii.  215 — 25. 
Independents,  ii.  429. 
Infidels,  ii.  468—9. 


Jesus,  7 — 12. 

James,  24.  77. 

James,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem,  76—80. 

Jerusalem,  its  Destruction,  85 — 102. 

Josephus,  97. 

John,  115—19. 

Justification  by  Faith,  12.  15,  29.  30, 


ixNDEX. 


481 


32.  35.  42.  135—49.  168—182.  258. 

327.  427.  ii.  5.  25—6.  30.  41.  59.  62. 

90.  109.  232.  254.  271.  345. 
Justin  Martyr,  160.  178. 
Jerusalem,  Gentile  Church  of,  297. 
Julian,  373 — 8. 
Jovian,  378. 
Jerom,  446. 
Justinian,  461. 
John  of  Gaunt,  ii.  119, 
Jerome  of  Prague,  ii.  150 — 196. 
James  I.,  ii.  419. 
Jacobites,  ii.  441. 
Jesuits,  ii.  452. 


Kilian,  481. 
Knox,  ii.  425. 

L. 

Luke,  63. 

Linus,  104. 

Laying  on  of  Hands,  17.  19.  25. 33,  42. 

Lord's  Supper,  46.  169.  170, 

Lord's  Day,  46.  170, 

Liturgy,  169.  396.  473.  ii.  29, 346, 375. 

378.  425.  439. 
Lyons,  201. 

Laodicean  Council,  381. 
Litany,  474. 
Lanfranc,  ii.  29. 
Lollards,  ii.  124 — 150. 
Luther,  ii.  208.  &c. 
Leo  X.,  ii.  216. 
Latimer,  ii.  386.  396. 
Lambeth  Articles,  ii,  416. 
Laud,  ii,  422. 


M. 

Mark,  26.  113. 

Marcion,  163.  188. 

Marcus  Antoninus,  172. 

Melito,  218. 

Miltiades,  220. 

Montonus,  232. 

Manes,  327. 

Maximin,  Death  of,  344. 

Macedonius,  367. 

Missionaries,  368. 

Monasticism,  371.  ii.  364. 

Manichees,  421. 

Mahomet,  485. 

Miltitz,  ii.  272. 

Munzer,  ii.  318. 

Melancthon.     See  Lut/ier,  ii,  327. 

Monasteries,  ii.  364.  366. 

Mary,  Queen,  ii.  383. 

Moravians,  ii.  446. 

Missions,  ii.  457.  Quadratus,  153. 

Methodists,  ii.  461. 

Vol.  XI.  3  P 


N. 

Ner\-a,  125. 

Narcissus,  254 — 5. 

Novatus,  293. 

Novatian,  294. 

Nicene  Council,  349. 

N^eslorius,  458.  484. 

Nicene  Council,  2d,  ii.  10. 

Norway,  ii.  32. 

Nag's  Head  Fable,  ii.  406. 

Nantz,  Edict  Revoked,  ii.  444. 

O. 

Origen,  247—54.  298. 
Orange,  Council  at,  461. 
Oswald,  479. 

P. 
Peter,  24.  80—85. 
Paul,  26—9.  38.  41—76. 
Poppea,  72. 
Philemon,  72. 
Persecutions,   Roman,   74.    105.    128. 

142.  150.  154.  200.  248.  255—262. 

272.  299.  &c. 
Persecutijons,  Papal.  See  Rome,  Papal. 
Parthia,  114. 

Polycarp,  115.  131.187.239. 
Patmos,  116. 
Pliny,  126. 
Praver,  24.  25.  34.  168.  242—3.  401, 

442.  ii.  62, 
Paphos,  26. 

Parental  Instruction,  32. 
Persia,  457. 
Pella,  103. 
Pothinus,  208. 
Praxeas,  241. 
Pantaenus,  245 — 7. 
Presttyters,  291.  296.  314.  329.  383. 
Poor,  321. 

Paul  of  Samosata,  334. 
Predestination,  ii.  328.  351.  377. 
Pilate,  87. 
Priscillian,  391. 
Pelagianism,  429. 
Patrick,  451. 
Phocas,  482. 
Pelagius  of  Spain,  ii.  5. 
Pepin,  ii.  9. 
Paulicians,  ii.  15.  45. 
Peter  the  Hermit,  ii.  33. 
Pool,  ii.  387. 
Parker,  ii.  406. 

Puritans,  ii.  417.  428.  433.  451. 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  ii.  465. 


Q. 


482 


INDEX^ 


R. 

Rome,  Heathen,  68—76. 

Rome,  273—6.  287. 

Readers,  287. 

Rome,  as  Antichrist,  459.  ii.  6.  7.  &c. 

&c.  through  great  part  ot  the  Second 

Vohime. 
Ravenna,  ii.  9. 
Rome,  Papal,  its  Persecutions,  ii.  15. 

through  great  part  of  the  Second 

Volume. 
Russia,  ii.  19. 
Ridley,  ii.  378.  386.  391. 
Rogers,  ii.  387. 


Spirit,  Influences  of,  13—16.  23.  112. 

136.  202—3.  220.  236—7.  267—8. 
Saul,  20—21. 
Simeon,  104.  150. 
Schism,  108. 
Simon  Magus,  19. 
Syrian  Christians,  114.  ii.  474. 
Scythia,  114. 
Stachys,  114. 
Sadducees,  15,  16. 
Smyrna,  150,  187. 
Severus,  248.  262. 
Sabellianism,  323. 
Socinianism,  326. 
Saints,  Worship  of,  ii.  16. 
Sweden,  ii.  20. 
Simon  of  Montfort,  ii.  75 — 6. 
Switzerland,  ii.  331. 
Servetus,  ii.  349. 
Six  Articles,  ii.  368. 
Scotland,  ii.  368. 
Sunday  Sports,  ii.  424. 
Societies  in  England,  ii.  449 
Societies,  ii.  471. 


Sunday  Schools,  ii.  473. 


Timothy,  32.  45.  75. 

Tacitus,  74. 

Titus,  45.  90. 

Thomas,  114. 

Trajan,  125—8.  130.  151. 

Tertuliian,  240. 

Trinity.     See  Divinity  of  Chnst,  (liid 

Spirit  also,  240.  441. 
Theatres,  310. 
Theodosius,  398. 
Trosle,  Council  of,  ii.  22. 
Theophylact,  ii.  25. 
Transubstantiation,  ii.  16.  48.  131. 
Tracts,  ii.  473. 
Tetzel.  ii.  218. 
Taylor,  Dr.,  ii.  389. 


Urban,  ii.  33 — 5. 


U. 


V. 


Vienna,  201. 
Victor,  231. 
Valentinian  and  Valens,  381 . 

W. 

Waldo,  ii.  48—52. 
Waldenses,  ii.  48 — 87. 
Wickliff,  ii.  113—125- 
Wesselus,  ii.  204. 
Wolsey,  ii.  354. 
Whitgift,  ii.  413. 
Westminster  Assembly,  it.  429. 


Zisca,  ii.  188. 

Zuingle,  ii.  331. 


Z. 


JL' 


"*# 


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